On Sunday, the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago started a naming contest for its newest sea otter pup, temporarily named Pup 719. From March 13 Shedd members have four days in order to vote for the aquarium’s favorite critter currently amongst five names selected by Shedd’s staff personnel.

It’s worth noticing that Pup 719 was rescued from Carmel Beach in Carmel, California about 3 months ago. The baby otter was found to be as energetic as playful once it was rescued and properly taken care of.

The pup has grown to almost 15 pounds and is reported to have started sleeping through the night by caretakers of the aquarium. All the possible names chose by staff members to entitle Pup 719 have a significant background.

Baby otter Shedd Aquarium
On Sunday, the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago started a naming contest for its newest sea otter pup. Photo credit: Shedd Aquarium / Breanna Hernandez / Mashable

The five names to be chosen by Shedd’s members to decide the pup’s name at the aquariums’ website are Gilly, Ellie, Carmel, Cali or Reya. For instance, the name Gilly is due to the nearby Guillemot Island, Ellie is for Carmel, the beach where the otter pup was found.

Cali is another proposed name for the pup as it was rescued in California, as well as Poppy is for the California state flower. In addition, there’s the name Reya, derived from Monterey Bay. The unveiling of the otter’s name is planned to take place on Friday at a private event at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

Pup 719 will make her first public appearance in the Regenstein Sea Otter habitat in the Abott Oceanarium. On a different take, The Monterey Bay Aquarium posted a video of a sea otter cuddling with its baby on its YouTube Page.

The adorable video caused polemy on the Internet as it reached over 125,000 views since it was uploaded to the page. The baby otter appearing in the video as he snuggles with its mom was born in the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s open-to-ocean tide pool a week before the video was released.

Source: Chicago Tribune