Shedd Otter Rescued From Valdez Spill Dies

By Anna Deem in News on May 29, 2010 7:00PM

Nuka, a 21-year-old northern sea otter that was brought to the Shedd Aquarium as a baby after being rescued from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska has died. Nuka died on Thursday at the Seattle Aquarium, where she had been since 2001 after an exchange that resulted in a male otter being brought to the Chicago museum. Aquarium officials decided to euthanize Nuka, as her health had been declining for months. The average lifespan for female otters is 15 to 20 years. [Chicago Sun-Times].