By Ray Wack, DVM, ACZM, Senior Veterinarian, Sacramento Zoo

This past week, I was invited to participate in a field project which aims to monitor behavior and health of sea otters off the coast of California. The California coast is the southern extent of the otter’s range and the otters face many natural and man-made impacts. The monitoring project is part of a long term effort to assess the health of the otter population and determine the influence of human activities and diseases on the population.

This project is truly a huge team effort! Over 40 professionals from U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), Monterey Bay Aquarium, Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN), and many other organizations have joined together to help the otters.
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