Board logo

標題: Nyac passed away T_T [打印本頁]
作者: 小叻    時間: 2008-9-24 23:16     標題: Nyac passed away T_T

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                   
September 23, 2008

http://www.vanaqua.org/pressroom/Nyac.html

VANCOUVER AQUARIUM’S OLDEST SEA OTTER, NYAC, PASSES
EXXON VALDEZ SURVIVOR WAS 20 YEARS OLD

Vancouver, BC – Staff and volunteers at the Vancouver Aquarium are profoundly saddened to share news of the passing of Nyac, a 20 year old female sea otter.

Nyac came to the Vancouver Aquarium in 1989 as one of the few young survivors of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. A veterinary team from the Vancouver Aquarium were on the scene to help handle the disaster and to provide expert care for the traumatized animals.  Many of the animals died but a few were rescued.  The Vancouver Aquarium was able to provide a home for 8 of the unreleasable otters, including Nyac.

Nyac was at the upper limit of a female sea otter life span. Over the last 2-3 years Nyac has been showing signs of her advanced age most obviously a gradual slowing down in her general behaviours. In July, Nyac suddenly showed limited energy and mobility.  The Aquarium’s veterinary team immediately began their work in an attempt to determine a reason for the sudden deterioration of Nyac’s health.  An MRI revealed a serious inner ear infection however blood test results showed a more serious underlying disorder.

With treatment, Nyac’s behaviour improved and since that time she had been under close observation by the marine mammal and veterinary care teams.  Last Friday her condition worsened and she was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Nyac was placed under 24-hour care with key staff in attendance. Her condition continued to worsen until Nyac passed away early this morning.

“Nyac was a very special animal and had been placed under palliative care.  Our entire veterinary and marine mammal care team is, of course, devastated this morning. Lymphocytic leukemia has not been previously reported in sea otters and because there is some association with contact with petroleum in other species, she is an important animal.  From a medical perspective, Nyac is also very important because of her long life.  Even as we’ll miss her we know she’ll continue to provide vital information on the long-term effects of oil exposure.” said Dr. Martin Haulena, Staff Veterinarian, Vancouver Aquarium.

Nyac’s birth occurred in the wild in late 1988. During her life, Nyac won the hearts of members, visitors, volunteers and staff at the Vancouver Aquarium.  Her wonderful spirit and lively nature captured the attention and adoration of all who have had the good fortune to spend time in her presence.

“It is an extremely sad day with the passing of one of our favourite animals. Nyac helped the Vancouver Aquarium interpretive teams engage and inspire millions of visitors as they learned about conservation, rehabilitation of injured marine mammals, and how to help sustain our aquatic environment.  Having survived such a traumatic event and overcoming incredible odds at such a young age, her life has been an amazing journey for all of us to share. She lived long, has been adored by millions, and is an inspirational story of hope against the backdrop of a substantial environmental tragedy - the Exxon Valdez oil spill …” said Clint Wright, Senior Vice President, Aquarium Operations & Planning.

Since 2007, a video documenting the playful nature of Nyac and her companion Milo has been seen by over 11 million viewers after it was posted on Youtube.com by Cynthia Holmes, a visitor to the Vancouver Aquarium. Ms. Holmes graciously donated the video to the organization in 2007.

so sad........ i love sea otters so much.. even collected so many sea otter stuff animals at home....and I just video taped them around late June this year..and now Nyac is gone.....
作者: siumaibb    時間: 2008-9-25 09:45




R.I.P.

The holding hands sea otter, you will be remembered.
作者: its_visa    時間: 2008-9-25 09:55

when i heard this news i was kind of shocked & sad too.....
when i saw u on the 12th, you looked perfectly fine, floating and swimming around with joy....
but i wish u R.I.P now....
作者: 布小熊    時間: 2008-9-25 10:30

so sad...
I saw them holding hands when I visited last year! Didn't get a good picture of them but took one in the shop:
作者: 小叻    時間: 2008-9-25 10:33

For Sea Otter lovers~

Sea Otter Live Cam @ Van Aqua
http://www.vanaqua.org/ottercam/

Poor Milo...
作者: siumaibb    時間: 2008-9-25 10:37

原帖由 小叻 於 2008-9-25 11:33 發表
Poor Milo...


yeah, hope he will be ok....
作者: 小叻    時間: 2008-9-25 10:44

原帖由 布小熊 於 25-9-2008 10:30 發表
so sad...
I saw them holding hands when I visited last year! Didn't get a good picture of them but took one in the shop:


I go to Van Aqua quite often.. and my last visit was on 6/28... and I spent more then an hour video taped them...they are eating... juicy clams... and then couple hrs later...around 6pm..they eat Icey Rock shrimps (a big block of ice...with a few shrimps inside)..they are just so cute...... and the sadness thing is that on that day I didnt tape Nyac & milo much.. they are all crowded by ppl...so I taped a lot of Tanu & Elfin.... and now...no more chance to tape Nyac...and Milo will be so lonely and sad.....
作者: 小叻    時間: 2008-9-25 10:45

VANCOUVER AQUARIUM CELEBRATES SEA OTTER AWARENESS WEEK

The Vancouver Aquarium celebrates international Sea Otter Awareness Week, which takes place from September 20-27 and will be celebrated at the Aquarium with special discovery stations, activities and family programs, in addition to regularly scheduled otter feeds.

Until Tuesday, September 23, the Vancouver Aquarium was home to four sea otters.  Sadly, in the early hours of September 23rd, 20 year old Nyac - one of the last remaining survivors of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill - passed away after an earlier diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

The passing of Nyac has placed a profound and lasting sadness upon those who cared for her during her time here at the Vancouver Aquarium.  The fact that her passing occurred during Sea Otter Awareness Week further amplifies the importance of her long life and how it will continue to provide education on her species and its environment.  Her legacy shows us the vital importance of continued conservation work to help protect the future of this species.

The three remaining sea otters include Tanu (a 4 year old female) and Elfin (a 7 year old male), both orphaned as young pups off the coast of Alaska and hand raised here at the Aquarium.  Also, Milo (a 9 year old male) is here on loan from the Lisbon Oceanarium.

Sea Otter Awareness Week began five years ago to educate the public about sea otters, their history and the conservation issues they are facing. Sea otters numbered in the hundreds of thousands two and a half centuries ago, but over-hunting in the 18th century nearly led to their extinction. Today, there are between 65,000 and 90,000 sea otters worldwide. Once extinct in British Columbia, 89 sea otters were reintroduced here between 1969 and 1972 and since then that number has grown substantially, now totalling 3,200.

In April 2007, the sea otter population in B.C. was downlisted from ‘threatened’ to ‘a species of special concern’. Sea otters are considered a ‘keystone’ species, a term that refers to their function within an ecosystem. They eat shellfish, preventing the destruction of kelp beds, which provide habitat for a number of fish species.

Events will run daily and be posted in the daily events board.
作者: CWong    時間: 2008-9-25 15:19

Miss Nyac forever!!



歡迎光臨 溫哥華老友記討論區 (http://www.loyaukee.com/forum/) Powered by Discuz! 7.2