SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – A sea otter that became an ambassador for her species after a remarkable recovery from an oil tar soaking off the coast of Northern California has been killed by a shark.
“Olive the Oiled Otter” made headlines in 2009 when she was found covered in oil and near death on Santa Cruz beach. Olive recovered fully and went on to deliver a healthy pup years later.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife says Olive was found dead by a beachgoer on Sunday.
The department says wildlife biologists found wounds consistent with a shark bite on the 7-year-old marine mammal’s body.
It says Olive’s wounds showed no signs of healing, indicating that she died quickly after the fatal bite.
Olive had more than 5,000 Facebook followers, in an account set up by wildlife officials. Hundreds of followers expressed sadness after reading about her passing.
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