PHOTOS: Sea Otters At Shedd Aquarium Have A Snow Day
/ CBS Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Shedd Aquarium's five sea otters celebrated this week with a snow day following Chicago's mid-March Lake Effect Snow.
The aquarium's animal care experts brought fresh snow into the Regenstein Sea Otter Habitat for the five otters - Yaku, Kiana, Mari, Luna and Ellie to enjoy.
The Californian and Alaskan sea otters were spotted running, jumping, sliding, rolling and some even napping in the snow.
As a form of enrichment for the sea otters, animal trainers at the Shedd often give the animals ice cubes, ice treats and frozen food. The enrichment provides both mental stimulation and physical exercise, which is a critical component for their care, according to a Shedd Aquarium release. Bringing in the snow was an added benefit to the sea otters enrichment.
"Sea otters are naturally curious, so they had no hesitation or reservations about the fluffy, white snow!" the statement said.
Four of the five sea otters at the Shedd Aquarium are rescues. The Shedd Aquarium's Animal Response Team has saved the lives of more than 40 endangered or non-releasable animals around the world over the last 50 years, including sea otters, fish, turtles, sea lions and penguins.
