A five-year old southern sea otter is the new inhabitant of the Shedd’s Abbott Oceanarium in Chicago.

The female sea otter pup was rescued along the Central California coast on September 30 and treated at the Monterey Bay Aquarium before heading out to Chicago, experts said on Tuesday.

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A jogger discovered the baby otter when he heard its crying noise and reported right away to the Marine Mammal Center. The baby otter was given Pup 681 as its name by the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

“Pup 681’s situation was urgent. As an organization dedicated to marine mammal care and conservation, we were perfectly positioned to ensure that this little pup had a home, providing the long-term care needed to survive,” said Tim Binder, Shedd's vice president of animal collections.

Animal coordinator for the Sea Otter Program Karl Meyer said that Pup 681 weighed only 1 kilogram when it arrived at the aquarium in California. He added that Pup 681's mother abandoned the baby for 16 hours.

After four weeks of undergoing intensive care and stabilization at the Sea Otter Program, the baby otter found a new home that could provide it round-the-clock care.

Shedd Aquarium volunteers said that Pup 681 is now weighing almost 3 kilograms and its length is about 22.6 inches.

Binder said a team of animal care experts will monitor the pup for 24 hours a day to make sure she eats, grooms, and sleeps well.

The team is also teaching the Pup 681 to be an otter. She has her own pool and swims happily. The long green pieces at her pool are intended to replicate the kelp. Pup 681 is also chewing plastic key rings and other toys because she's starting to get some teeth, according to her trainers from the Shedd Aquarium.

Currently, the pup is beginning to learn to feed and bathe herself. She's taking a diet of instant formula in a bottle and sliced clam pieces.

Pup 681's stay at Shedd is indefinite, but the Sea Otter Program plans to have her eventually join four other otters in the Regenstein Sea Otter habitat.

Tagssea otter, Pup 681, baby otter, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Shedd’s Abbott Oceanarium, pup rescued from California, baby otter rescued