316 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 68 



ships. After many failures, knowledge is now available to assure 

 successful transportation, provided that control of critical condi- 

 tions is possible. 



AUTOMOBILE 



Otters were transported only short distances by truck or auto- 

 mobile. They were taken from the place of capture on Amchitka 

 to field headquarters and later between holding facilities and ships 

 or aircraft. Because the trips were short, the animals were con- 

 veyed in small carrying cages and no complications were encoun- 

 tered. However, they appeared disturbed, and whined or "whistled" 

 en route. The longest automobile ride, 40 miles, was in 1965 when 

 an adult male, "Gus," was taken from a dock in Seattle to the 

 Tacoma Aquarium at Point Defiance. This animal appeared quite 

 contented throughout the trip. 



AIRCRAFT 



On several occasions the only air transportation available was 

 that of commercial passenger planes. Here, because of passenger 

 needs, it was not possible to maintain temperatures low enough 

 for sea otters. Distressed otters whined, whistled, and sometimes 

 screamed, and attempted to escape from their cages by tearing 

 at the wire screen cage with their teeth and f orepaws. When avail- 

 able, ice was placed in the cages and cold water from bottles was 

 poured on the otters. This they drank eagerly and rubbed into 

 their fur. This treatment did not satisfactorily solve the problem, 

 but several otters survived trips from Seattle to Washington, D.C. 

 in 1954 and from Amchitka to Seattle in 1955 and 1956. The only 

 otters that survived trips on heated, passenger-carrying aircraft 

 were given constant attention, ice, and water during the trip. 

 Of 19 otters taken at Amchitka and carried on commercial, pas- 

 senger-carrying aircraft, 6 survived to reach Seattle. Of these, only 

 two ultimately recovered from the trip. The time en route was from 

 36 hours to more than 4 days, and it appeared that few animals 

 could tolerate such prolonged periods of stress. 



To avoid self-injury and reduce excitement during air trans- 

 ports, K. L. Binkley, D.V.M., decided to administer a tranquilizer 

 immediately before shipment from Amchitka on 2 November 1957. 

 He v^rote: 



This was done . . . and the animals shipped. Unfortunately, fatal compli- 

 cations developed when the tranquil animals were exposed to 11,000 feet 

 altitude in a nonpressurized plane. Although it is not known for sure, ap- 

 parently the drug causes a lowering in metabolism, and also in the animal's 



