Oregon Zoo sea otter has talent for hoops

February 21, 2013 @ 5:22 pm (Updated: 11:20 am - 2/22/13 )

kevinspacey

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Nothing but net? No problem for one sporty sea otter at the Oregon Zoo.

Eddie the otter has been trained to dunk a basketball through a small plastic hoop. It's an exercise a veterinarian recommended for his arthritic elbows.

Eddie is 15, quite old for a sea otter. But as they put it at the Oregon Zoo, he's got game.

Eddie makes most of his shots. But when he misses, he hits the boards, grabs the rebound and goes up again until he scores.

Keeper Jenny DeGroot notes sea otters have incredible dexterity, so Eddie's hidden talent for hoops isn't that surprising.

No word on whether the Portland Trail Blazers are interested in signing the sea otter to help snap their six-game losing streak, but coach Terry Stotts did major in zoology.


(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Comments (6)


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  • longwayhome wrote...
    Eddie should be glad
    February 21, 2013 6:32 pm
    He lives at the Oregon Zoo. Alaska is considering placing a bounty on sea otters. Yes, a bounty on their dead bodies. The reason being, the otters are hurting the shellfish harvest. Man almost hunted the otter to extinction in the 1800's for their pelts, now they want to kill them so they can harvest more shellfish for PROFIT. The otters were here first, I'll give up my shellfish for the lives of the otters.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Driesel206 wrote...
    agree
    February 22, 2013 10:52 am
    Yeah you can keep your dang shellfish. Save the otters! And this law will probably pass cause we all know what runs govt.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    He otter play for the Sonics when they come to Seattle.
    February 23, 2013 12:07 am
    .
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Moondoggie wrote...
    Why do the Otter have more value than the shellfish?
    February 23, 2013 12:00 pm
    .
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Moondoggie wrote...
    Alaska needs an Orca hatchery
    February 23, 2013 12:02 pm
    to raise more Orca to keep the otters in check. I would love to take my kids to that hatchery!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • longwayhome wrote...
    Shellfish
    February 23, 2013 6:51 pm
    The shellfish farms have ways to keep the otters out of their pens. The otters are only "harvesting" what the shellfish people would like to call their own territory, the areas where they compete with nature to get to the shellfish before the otters do. First come, first served.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }