Rescued Alaska Walrus Calf Finds Home in Orlando

Annautaq, a five-month-old Pacific walrus calf weighing about 220 pounds, was rescued alone on a remote northern Alaska beach after his herd left in heavy surf. Local rescuers and wildlife experts cared for him before he was taken to the Alaska SeaLife Center for rehabilitation; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined he could not be released into the wild. He has since traveled to SeaWorld Orlando, one of only four U.S. institutions equipped to house walruses, where staff are providing round-the-clock care and he is completing quarantine before joining the park’s walrus herd. His new companions include Uki, another rescued calf, and Garfield, who was also orphaned and raised at the park.