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Otter 841 (born c. 2018), also known as Sea Otter 841, is a female southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) who attracted publicity in mid-2023 for her aggressive interactions with surfers and kayakers off the coast of Santa Cruz, California.[1][2] She was born in captivity at Monterey Bay Aquarium, raised there by her mother with minimal human intervention, and released into the wild in June 2020.[3] Although she does not have an official personal name, she has been nicknamed "Laverna" after the Roman goddess of thieves.[1][4]
In October 2023, it was confirmed that Otter 841 had given birth to a pup.[5] She was not seen for much of the following winter, but returned to the Santa Cruz area in May 2024.[6]
References
- ^ a b Iati, Marisa (July 24, 2023). "How an 'ungovernable' otter became an internet sensation". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Wildlife officials attempt safe capture of unusually aggressive sea otter in Santa Cruz". California Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2023-07-14. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
- ^ Jones, Dustin (July 22, 2023). "An otter turned outlaw continues to evade wildlife officials in Santa Cruz". NPR.
- ^ Gorvett, Zaria (5 September 2023). "What we can learn from California's surfing sea otter". BBC. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
- ^ "Southern sea otter 841 observed with pup, wildlife biologists encourage ethical wildlife viewing". United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 2023-10-26. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
- ^ Alexandra, Rae (May 29, 2024). "The Infamous Santa Cruz Sea Otter Is Back and Ready to Snack (on Surfboards)". KQED. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
