THE SEA OTTER IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN 317 



ability to compensate for oxygen lack. Some action of the drug might also 

 involve lung tissue permeability. During this attempt to ship 5 otters to the 

 zoo in Seattle, the 4 adult otters were all administered 2 mg. Sparine per 

 pound of body weight. A young 5-week-old pup was also included, although 

 little hope was held for its safe arrival. In 2V2 hours the pup was dead — 

 probably from fright and altitude. In 15 more minutes the next youngest 

 otter died, and in 5^/^ hours from take-off, the 3d otter (mother of the pup) 

 succumbed. The two remaining otters died shortly after arrival in Anchorage, 

 Alaska — or approximately 15 hours from Amchitka. Post mortem findings can 

 be found in "Causes of Death in Captivity." 



In the past, otters have been shipped in the same plane at the same altitude 

 with no apparent [in flight] ill effects — although they did die during [delays 

 in] shipment or shortly thereafter from other reasons. The only additional 

 factor in this case was the tranquilizer, and until more work is done with 

 the drug, the use of it under similar circumstances would not be indicated. 



The above is from a report of 7 November 1957, by Kennetli L. 

 Binkley, D.V.M., of the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, who was 

 temporarily attached to the Sea Otter Project at Amchitka Island 

 from 1 October to 2 November 1957. 



After the unfortunate experience described by Binkley, it was 

 decided to make one more transport of otters aboard a commercial 

 passenger aircraft, it being the only available transportation. 



In December of 1957 this attempt was made by taking eight 

 otters via Reeve Aleutian Airways from Amchitka to St. Paul 

 Island, Pribilof Islands reservation. No tranquilizer drugs were 

 given. The animals were in excellent condition when they departed 

 Amchitka on the morning of 11 December. A storm, however, 

 caused delay, and unsatisfactory conditions inherent in an unpres- 

 surized, heated (to 75° F.), passenger-carrying aircraft caused 

 rapid deterioration and resulted in the death of six animals on 

 the night of 11 December. It appeared that overheating was the 

 primary cause of death. The Pribilof s could not be reached, so two 

 surviving males were taken to Seattle. One, an old adult, failed to 

 recover from the trip and died on 16 December. The other, a young 

 adult, recovered from the trip but subsequently died of unknown 

 causes on 22 September 1958. 



No further effort was made to carry sea otters on passenger- 

 carrying commercial aircraft. In 1959, however, a U.S. Fish and 

 Wildlife Service aircraft was available for the specific purpose 

 of transporting sea otters. On 20 May seven otters, each about 

 1 year old, were placed on the R4D (DC-3) aircraft at Amchitka. 

 On the direct flight of 3.4 hours to St. Paul Island the cabin 

 temperature was maintained at 48° to 49° F., and the maximum 

 altitude attained was 2,000 feet. En route the animals exhibited 

 mild distress but when water from a bottle was poured in their 



