California wildlife officials are seeking to stop a sea otter from stealing surfboards.
According to the Washington Examiner, a female sea otter has been caught on camera seizing the property directly from surfers.
This was displayed in a tweet by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) which shared a photo of the furry culprit.
They wrote they “are aware of a 5-year-old female southern sea otter exhibiting concerning and unusual behaviors in Santa Cruz, California, including repeatedly approaching surfers & kayakers recreating in the area.”
.@usfws & CA Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) are aware of a 5-year-old female southern sea otter exhibiting concerning and unusual behaviors in Santa Cruz, California, including repeatedly approaching surfers & kayakers recreating in the area. #thread (1/6) pic.twitter.com/w1u8wkJ3qN
— USFWS News (@USFWSNews) July 14, 2023
The Smithsonian Magazine reported on the situation and even shared an image of the sea otter appearing to surf on the stolen property. Although recent encounters are making waves, the 5-year-old thief has been caught getting close to humans for years.
She has shown no remorse, and the Smithsonian warned that “while some beach-goers and internet onlookers may find the encounters cute or endearing, wildlife officials say the situation is getting out of hand and could quickly turn dangerous—for both swimmers and the otter herself.”
This was seen in a video clip posted to Twitter on Monday that showed the otter aggressively approaching a surfer. She then stole the board and swam away with it.
An amazing video!
— Native Santa Cruz (@NativeSantaCruz) July 10, 2023
This video of the sea otter attacking a surfboard yesterday was shared me and is being posted with the photographers permission. The video must remain in this tweet to be shared. This is a dangerous sea otter, avoid it if at all possible! pic.twitter.com/N7qPMFVRrt
User Native Santa Cruz wrote, “This is a dangerous sea otter, avoid it if at all possible!”
According to the New York Times, the otter lived in the Monterey Bay Aquarium after being born to a mother who was orphaned and raised in captivity. She was re-released into the wild without forming close domestic bonds with humans, but her association with captivity is now affecting her interactions in the wild.
Wildlife officials have tagged the otter and are monitoring her. They told the New York Times that if they can re-capture her, “she will return to the Monterey Bay Aquarium before being transferred to a different one, where she will live out her days.”