Defenders of Wildlife Blog

Sea otters frolic off the coast of California.

With their expressive faces and soft, furry bodies, sea otters exude charisma. But when it comes to survival, cute and cuddly doesn’t always cut it.

As few as 2,800 sea otters call California’s waters home. The population descends from a single remaining colony of about 50 hidden amid the crags of Big Sur, out of sight from fur hunters who nearly wiped out the world’s entire population by the early 1900s. Today they are at risk from pollution-caused disease, oil spills and fishing gear.

But even in such small numbers, these marine mustelids—related to weasels, ferrets and minks—have a profound influence on the marine ecosystem, keeping crucial kelp forests healthy by eating urchins that can overgraze. The otters’ diverse diet includes clams, crabs and mussels, which they cleverly crack open with a rock—every otter keeps one tucked away in a chest pouch.

Unlike most of their blubbery brethren, sea otters have fur—the densest of any mammal at up to 1 million hairs per square inch—to keep the chilly waters at bay. Because they can’t afford a bad hair day, much time is spent grooming their “do.” If their fur becomes soiled, it’s no longer waterproof and they can freeze to death. That’s one reason oil spills are so lethal.

Despite these amazing adaptations, California sea otters still need our help to keep their heads above water—so they can frolic and we can be charmed throughout this century and into the next.

Read more from the spring issue of Defenders magazine.

The spring issue of Defenders is here! Check out “Shoring up the Red Knot” to find out how conservationists are teaming to help this shorebird recover. While you’re here, get some good news on Florida panthers and Mexican wolves, and find out how Defenders is working to increase protection for right whales, which are too often harmed by commercial fishing gear.

Find more great wildlife stories and photos in the spring issue of Defenders Magazine.

Want to receive your own copy of Defenders Magazine, delivered right to your doorstep? Join Defenders today!

At 5 years old, Cody, a former entertainer who appeared on TV shows including "That 70s Show," was retired to a sanctuary where he will spend the rest of his life. Chimps can live 50-60 years. Photo (c) Save the Chimps

Chimps…so cute, so funny…so full of character. Television advertisements, movies and even greeting cards rely on their antics to entertain. But the public sees them so frequently that many people don’t realize these great apes actually face extinction in the wild, according to a new study published this month in PLoS One, the journal of the Public Library of Sciences.

Using composite images to test respondents’ reactions to chimpanzees in different circumstances, researchers with the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago found that many people believed that chimps were thriving in the wild.

The media’s exploitation of chimpanzees can make people believe that the species doesn’t need protection, says Steve Ross, the study’s lead author and assistant director of the zoo’s ape center. And this could be undermining important conservation efforts for a severely endangered species that could go extinct in the wild in 10 to 50 years without more help.

The other sad reality is that a chimp’s “acting” career is over after only a few short years. As adults, they become too large and strong, unmanageable and dangerous. The lucky ones end up in sanctuaries. The star-crossed end their careers as roadside attractions in unaccredited zoos or in backyard cages or breeding compounds, according to the Florida-based Center for Great Apes. Michael Jackson’s former friend Bubbles is housed at this sanctuary, as are four of the chimps used in commercials that aired during the 2005 Super Bowl, Emmy Awards and Academy Awards. Chimps can live 50 to 60 years.

Photo (c) Save the Chimps

The good news is that in the last several years, at least 15 advertising agencies—including 10 of the top ad firms in the world—have agreed to pitch out the idea of using chimps as actors rather than pitch it for a new campaign.

What Can You Do?

Don’t let them entertain you. Avoid greeting cards that bear their photos, and don’t buy products or use the services of companies that exploit these endangered species.

Encourage others to do the same by spreading the word about this great apes’ plight.

Find out how Defenders is working to save endangered species.

Learn more about chimpanzee sanctuaries at savethechimps.org.