PORTLAND — The Oregon Zoo has chosen an adoptive mother as its annual mother of the year.
The zoo said Friday that Thelma the sea otter was selected because she did a great job raising an orphaned otter pup that was rescued last year along the California coast.
The pup named Juno was only 5 months old when she met Thelma last May. The zoo says Thelma’s old for a sea otter, but spry, energetic and playful. Thelma and Juno quickly bonded, with the elder sea otter bear-hugging the young one, then swimming her around the pool and under the water.