A sea otter pup was recently reunited with its mother off the California coast, and the touching moment was caught on camera.
Cattepiller and its mom’s reunion has gone viral on social media, and it’s thanks to a wildlife center in their area.
The team at the marine mammal center covers 600 miles of the California coastline.
And when their hotline received a call about an otter pup that was seen near the shore, they sent team members to the rescue.
They took a small carrier, ice, a rescue net, and a Bluetooth speaker — recording a one-minute clip of the pups’ cries to play on repeat in hopes the mother would hear it.
Eventually, the team spotted an adult otter following their boat around the bay.
And after two hours of searching, marine mammal operations coordinator Shayla Zink placed the pup in the water.
“I definitely cried a little bit when she came up and got the pup. It was super rewarding like top five day at work ever,” Zink said.
This was the first reunification in the area since 2019.
And the wildlife center says it has an extra meaning behind it as the Southern Sea Otter is an endangered species.