As per recent reports, it has been claimed by caretakers from Chicago's Shedd Aquarium that they have finally euthanized a California sea lion, 13-year-old male, called Otis.

Aquarium authorities, in this regard, have claimed that they decided about euthanizing the sea lion after medical tests revealed a rapid turn down in his health because of a rapidly developing urogenital cancer. Otis was brought to the Shedd Aquarium earlier in 2009 during a mission carried out for the sake of relocating sea lions all the way from the Washington state-based Bonneville Dam. Also, it has been revealed that a large number of fish stocks in the Columbia River were endangered by close to 12 sea lions.

Veterinarians, in the meantime, have claimed that Otis began giving up on his hunger and started showing indications of weariness a few weeks ago, and as a result the officials decided to euthanize the sea lion last week. In this regard, Ken Ramirez, the animal care and training Vice-President of Shedd Aquarium, claimed that euthanizing process of the sea lion was somewhat a tough but highly necessary and significant decision.

Shedd, apart from Otis, has two more California sea lions named Biff and Tyler, both male. Ken Ramirez said: “Sea otters have no fat to keep them warm. If she didn't groom, she would freeze to death. Sea otters have a luxurious coat with 10 million hairs per square inch, the thickest coat of all animals”.

Ever since January, an orphaned California sea otter, named Cayucos, has been there at the Chicago-based Shedd Aquarium, and it has been said that pup is rapidly learning significant skills of survival, with the entire credit going to a group of caretakers who provided all the need care all day long.