A 15-year-old sea otter named Mari has died as of this past Wednesday.
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According to NBC5, the Shedd Aquarium lost Mari after undergoing surgery to remove multiple turmors from her reproductive tract.
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Shedd President and CEO Bridget C. Coughlin said the following of little Mari…
“Animals have such an impact on us, they infuse themselves into our hearts, our thoughts, our larger relationship with nature. At Shedd Aquarium, we look nature in the eye. Mari looked right back at us, with curiosity and spunk.”
According to the news outlet, Mari was rescued by a kayaker on Kachemak Bay off the coast of Alaska after the kayaker thought she was abandoned.
Shedd had noted that her blond face and larger size made it easy to find her among the other sea otters in their habitat.
Ellie, a smaller otter, was often seen hugging her by the neck, according to Shedd.
“Mari was often the first otter to engage in new play and enrichment activities, making her extra fun to watch,” said Tim Binder, executive vice president of animals. “She will be greatly missed, but her rich and robust life here and her story helped spark compassion, curiosity and conservation for the aquatic animal world for millions of visitors who shared her journey with us.”