An abandoned walrus pup is receiving round-the-clock “cuddling” from welfare workers trying to keep him alive.
The unnamed Pacific walrus was found alone miles from the ocean on Alaska’s North Slope and taken to Alaska SeaLife Centre.
Weighing a whopping 90kg, the “cuddling” approach is an effort to mimic the near-constant care a calf would get from its mother in the wild.
Animal Care Specialists Halley Werner and Savannah Costner feed formula to walrus calf. Pic: AP
It gives the month-old walrus an “option to have a warm body to lean up against” which workers said he has been “taking advantage of almost constantly”.
He is also being fed every three hours.
The calf was found by oil field workers about four miles (6.4km) away from the Beaufort Sea – where the breed are occasionally observed.
It remains unknown how he became abandoned.
Although a walrus track was found nearby, there were no signs of adults.
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Pic: AP
In the wild, Pacific walrus rely on their mothers for the first two years of their lives, sparking concern for the abandoned calf.
The centre said the walrus will be under 24-hour care for several weeks – with his health, appetite and progress monitored.
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