Walter the sea otter who was left fighting for his life after being shot in the face near Tofino is now considered to be in stable condition.
It has taken seven weeks to reach this point but officials at the Vancouver Aquarium are happy with his progress.
He was making a very slow recovery and recently underwent dental surgery to treat broken teeth caused by the shotgun blast. Three of Walter’s teeth were extracted and a complex root canal was performed to save one of his canine teeth.
He has also undergone multiple surgeries on shattered bones in one of his flippers.
“Walter still has a long way to go, but he has made significant progress,” says Dr. Martin Haulena. “His flexibility has improved, which means he can now groom himself much better. Having removed his broken teeth and treated his oral infection, he should be feeling much more comfortable. Due to his injuries, however, Walter will likely never regain his sight.”
Lindsaye Akhurst, the manager of the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre, says it is still to be determined if Walter will ever be released into the wild again, but right now he is comfortable, he eats well and he can swim well.
“At this point we are still focusing on his day to day care and rehabilitation,” says Akhurst.
Walter is the only sea otter at the Rescue Centre at the moment. There are also nine harbour seals.
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