This feisty marine mammal seems otterly impossible to capture.
A California sea otter who has been stealing surfers’ boards has proven to be quite the escape artist — to the delight of her many fans.
Wildfire workers have been trying for more than a week to capture the “aggressive” female otter who has become known by local surfers off the coast of Santa Cruz for her sticky paws and tendency to put up a fight for a good sunning spot atop a surfboard.
But the team of marine experts with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Monterey Bay Aquarium have been unsuccessful in catching the 5-year-old mammal known as otter 841 since starting their quest last week.
The teams said the small otter poses a public safety risk and want to rehome her at a zoo or aquarium where they can examine her and determine the cause of her atypical feisty behavior.
Otter 481 has attracted a growing fan club both among local beachgoers and social media users across the country after a video of her snatching a young man’s surfboard to lounge went viral.
“It was a true wrestling match over this surfboard,” the local videographer Mark Woodward told KGO. “And the person finally got it away and it was damaged. Basically, the board was destroyed.”
The marine animal, who was born in captivity and has a radio tracking device, has commandeered other surfboards before and after the viral video as well. Admirers are showing up to the shore daily hoping to spot the surfing otter.
The team of experts have been trying to use Otter 481’s love of surfboards against her. A swimmer has been towing a baited surfboard in their attempts to capture her.
The otter has hopped on the board multiple times in the past few days, but as soon as a wildlife official tries to get near her, she dives off, Woodward told the Associated Press.
“They can’t throw a net over her in the water. They can’t tranquilize her because of fear of her drowning. So they really need to get hands on her,” he said.
Otter 481’s fans, however, want her to be left alone to live out her surfing dreams.
“Just leave ‘em alone. Just let ’em have fun. Hasn’t bitten anybody. Roughs up the board. It’s like a dog with a chew, you know?” said Jackie Rundell, a Santa Cruz resident who was visiting the bay.
Experts don’t know why the animal is exhibiting aggressive behavior, which they said was highly unusual.
“Aggressive behavior in female southern sea otters may be associated with hormonal surges or due to being fed by humans,” the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in a statement last week.
With Post wires
