Saving the Sea Otter

Hunted to the verge of extinction by the turn of the 20th century, sea otters were considered too far gone to ever recover. They had numbered in the millions before then, but continuous and unmerciful hunting for their fur almost led to their extinction. Which is why saving endangered species is so crucial.

At the turn of last century, they were estimated to be only about 1000 or 2000 left in the world with only about 50 of them left on the west coast of California. They entered into federal protection in 1911 and their population was allowed to heal.

This has been one of the most fulfilling of success stories for an endangered species. By the early 70’s, the sea otter population began rebounding in California coastal waters, and some of these were transplanted on the Canadian coastline where they too showed a dramatic increase in population growth.

The only area left where the sea otter had not been protected was along the Alaskan coastline, and now the US Fish and Wildlife Service has granted habitat protection along more than 5000 square miles of the Alaska and Bering Sea coast.

It’s a wonderful success story to be sure, and will allow sea otters to live free and without habitat destruction for every generation to come. Please help protect endangered animals.