Alaskan sea otters coming to Birmingham Sea Life Centre in UK first

The two new arrivals will become part of the venue's new multi-million pound marine rescue facility as part of a pioneering education and conservation project in partnership with the SEA LIFE Trust and Alaska Wildlife Rescue.

Once on the verge of extinction after being hunted for their thick pelt in the 1800s, sea otters remain a seriously endangered species.

Following a two-and-a-half-year guardianship application, the financing of care and major investment in a brand new purpose-built facility over in the United Kingdom to meet strict animal welfare requirements, the United States Fishing and Wildlife Service have granted a permit to the city centre attraction.

The otters will be arriving in Birmingham in 2020.

Jonny Rudd, Curator at Birmingham Sea Life Centre said: “This is such an incredibly exciting time for us. It’s been a pioneering project for the country, taking global efforts and a collective vision with our conservation partners to protect the world’s oceans and the incredible marine life which lives within.

“Sadly, an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ mentality can have detrimental consequences to our planet, but this is now our opportunity to open up the reality of a world which feels very far removed from our own.

"The sea otters arrival will be a landmark moment for the UK and give us a sense of connection to nature and wildlife from across the globe, highlighting the unconscious impact we’re having so we can start to make small differences.

“It’s a guardianship commitment with full 360 vision, meaning that monies raised through the sea otters residency in Birmingham will have a direct and positive impact to environmental efforts on the ground in Alaska through our partners, Sea Life Trust and Alaska Wildlife Rescue.”

In a milestone move, the project has been granted permission for border inspection to take place in Birmingham.

Following a police escort, the precious cargo will go in to quarantine and settle in to their new state-of-the-art and temperature controlled facility in Birmingham, which will replicate their natural habitat in the wild and give the sea otters a safe sanctuary for the rest of their lives.