Stranded sea otter pups require specialized rehabilitation as orphans, with successful programs enabling release back to the wild.
Orphaned sea otter pups face immediate starvation and exposure without maternal care. Poorly rehabilitated pups that become imprinted on humans cannot be released successfully. The surrogacy model using trained adult female otters as foster mothers dramatically improves welfare during rehabilitation and post-release outcomes. Each successfully rehabilitated and released pup contributes to the recovery of a critically small population.