Staff at the Seward-based center say the female calf was likely left on its own after a walrus herd passed through a beach area.
ASLC Animal Care Specialist Maddie Welch and ASLC Veterinary Technician Jessica Davis feeds the orphaned female Pacific walrus calf patient that arrived from Utqiagvik on July 22, 2024.
The calf weighs nearly 165 pounds and is believed to be no more than a few weeks old. She’s one of only eleven walruses that have been admitted to the SeaLife Center since it opened in 1998. Carrie Goertz is the director of animal health at the SeaLife Center. She says the walrus calf has perked up and has started feeding from a bottle.
According to the SeaLife Center, the care regimen for Pacific walruses is more demanding than other marine mammals. They’re highly social animals that seek comfort through physical contact with their mothers, meaning staff work around the clock to act as surrogates. In the wild, walruses are usually under the care of their mothers for more than two years.
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