In this Sept. 2012 photo provided by the Alaska SeaLife Center, the baby walrus Mitik is seen at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska. The 234-pound male, rescued from the ocean off Alaska in July, is on his way to the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn. The Coney Island aquarium is only one of a few institutions in the country that exhibit walruses. (AP Photo/Alaska SeaLife Center, Sybille Castro)
(AP)—A 234-pound baby walrus is coming to the Wildlife Conservation Society's New York Aquarium in Brooklyn.
The 15-week mammal was rescued from the ocean off Alaska in July. The aquarium is set to welcome the walrus, named Mitik, on Thursday.
The Coney Island aquarium is only one of a few institutions in the country that exhibit walruses. It has two other walruses. Nuka is 30 years old and Kulu is 17.
In this Sept. 2012 photo provided by the Alaska SeaLife Center, the baby walrus Mitik sits in a small pool at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska. The 234-pound male, rescued from the ocean off Alaska in July, is on his way to the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn. The Coney Island aquarium is only one of a few institutions in the country that exhibit walruses. (AP Photo/Alaska SeaLife Center)
Mitik was found by a hunting vessel several miles offshore. Initially, he suffered from bladder problems and was unable to take a bottle. The Alaska Sea Life Center says he's now putting on a pound a day.
He will spend the first month in quarantine at the aquarium's medical facility. He will join the exhibit next spring.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Citation:
Big baby walrus coming to NYC aquarium (2012, October 11)
retrieved 26 April 2024
from https://phys.org/news/2012-10-big-baby-walrus-nyc-aquarium.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
