Since mid-June, a sea otter — which remains nameless — has been attacking and terrorizing surfers off the Santa Cruz coastline — in at least one case, stealing a board.
In the wake of mounting incidents — which were first viewed with amusement — federal and state wildlife officials have decided they need to remove the young otter from the wild, before it hurts someone — or itself. Tuesday morning along West Cliff Drive warning surfers of an “aggressive sea otter” in the area and to enter the water at their own risk.
Because the pup was raised in captivity, she could not have learned the behavior from her mother, Fujii said. It’s also unlikely her aggressive behavior is the result of becoming habituated to humans during her brief time in captivity. It’s possible the otter is pregnant again, she said. Otter moms will often go immediately into estrus if they lose a pup. However, until they get her in for observation, they won’t know.
She paid no mind to the two or three surfers who waited for a swell that never really came; the sea off Lighthouse Point was calm and the wind mild.
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