Walrus Born at City Aquarium
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He’s bald and pudgy, like a lot of newborns.
Well, maybe pudgy’s a bit of an understatement.
“The secret is out!” the New York Aquarium announced today. Kulusiq — nicknamed Kulu — a 13-year-old Pacific walrus, gave birth over the summer to a bouncing baby boy.
The little one — at least in comparison to his half-ton-plus mom — is already growing up fast. He weighed about 115 pounds when he was born on June 12 at the Brooklyn aquarium. He’s now quickly approaching 300 pounds; walrus males can reach 4,000 pounds.
“He has already started to develop a personality — exploring, playing, calling to Kulu, and even touching whiskers with mom, as well as being receptive to being weighed by staff,” a senior vice president of the Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs the aquarium, Dr. Robert Cook, said.
For now, mother and son are bonding in one pool while dad Ayveq hangs out in another.
The public will get to choose one of four names from the Siberian Yupik language.
