When's the last time you thought something that weighed literally a ton was cute? Like, really, really cute?
For many San Diegans and visitors to America's Finest City, it was when they turned a corner at SeaWorld and spotted Mitik the walrus.
So it was "with our deepest sorrow" that the park announced Monday that Mitik, who lived at the park since 2016, had died over the weekend.
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The orphaned calf was first rescued by the Alaska Life Center in the Arctic in 2012 when he was just a few weeks old.
"Deemed non-releasable by wildlife authorities because, at his young age he lacked the skills to survive on his own, Mitik spent time at several aquariums throughout his life," SeaWorld said in an Instagram post on Monday.
Walrus can live as long as 40 years, so poor Mitik met an early demise.
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Mitzi Synnott, a zoological supervisor at SeaWorld, said that, looking back, working with Mitik was the highlight of her 30-year career.
"There are not enough words to describe how special he was," Mitzi is quoted as saying in Monday's IG post. “He was gentle, patient, responsive and created meaningful bonds with his animal care team and veterinarians. I spent years caring for him and I will never forget him.”
Officials said that Mitik had acute kidney disease that resisted intensive treatment efforts in his final days
SeaWorld said the marine mammal contributed to hearing and photogrammetry research during his time at the park, activities that will walruses in the wild.
