Sea otters recovered from near-extinction but face ongoing threats from oil spills, shark bites, and fishing gear entanglement.
Oil-contaminated otters die slowly from hypothermia as their fur loses insulating properties, and from organ damage from oil ingestion during grooming. Rehabilitation of oiled otters is intensive and expensive. Shark-bitten otters frequently survive initially but die from infection and blood loss. The documented grief behavior of mothers carrying dead pups suggests these are animals with significant social bonding and attendant emotional complexity.