Christy Sterling was first hired at Shedd to take care of Kiana in 2005, right after the orphaned otter pup had been rescued in Alaska. Sterling spent the past 16 years working with Kiana.
"Taking care of an otter pup is kind of like taking care of a baby," Sterling said. "That's how I got to know Kiana. I knew her ever since I could pretty much hold her and feed her a bottle of formula."
One of five sea otters currently living at Shedd, Kiana was a geriatric animal who spends much of her time chewing on ice cubes and cleaning her fur (sea otters have the densest fur in the animal kingdom). The elderly otter had recently completed her final treatment of chemotherapy, when staff estimated that she was entering her final stages of life a year after her cancer diagnosis.
'Kiana the Sea Otter' is episode one of 'An Ocean On The Lake,' the multi-part behind-the-scenes series from ABC 7 Chicago and Shedd Aquarium. It was produced prior to Kiana's death. Watch this first segment to learn more about Kiana, and about the importance of protecting sea otters, who are currently an endangered species. Find every episode on our homepage for "An Ocean On The Lake," or watch on our ABC 7 Chicago connected TV App.
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This story was updated on June 16, after Kiana had passed away.