Alaska
‘Heartbroken’: Rescued walrus calf who required ’round-the-clock cuddles’ dies
Despite round-the-clock cuddles and tireless efforts, a rare Pacific walrus calf has died in care this week, as confirmed in a statement by the Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC).
In a statement the ASLC, the nonprofit research facility and public aquarium that was caring for the pup, said they were “heartbroken” after the walrus passed away on August 11.
They added that although their animal care teams worked tirelessly to provide round-the-clock critical care treatments, never leaving the calf’s side, it “ultimately succumbed to its condition”.
“While often rewarding, wildlife rescue is inherently unpredictable and comes with the possibility of great loss. For those that dedicate their lives to animal care, this is the hardest part of the job,” the centre said in a statement online.
The centre posted the news on their Instagram page, which was met with an outpouring of grief among the public who were following the calf’s recovery.
“Thank you for helping him, my heart goes out to those who cared for him. He was truly in the best of hands.
“I’m so thankful he knew kindness and care in his last days, as heartbreaking as it is to lose him.”
A touch and go health journey
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The walrus calf had been admitted to the ASLC in Seward, Alaska, on August 1 after it was spotted by oil field workers on Alaska’s North Slope on its own, kilometres from the ocean.
A “walrus trail,” or track, was seen on the tundra land near a road where the walrus was found. But it was unclear how, exactly, it got there, the centre has said.
The calf, believed to be a month old, was struggling with a number of health issues, including nutrient malabsorption.
On the day before its death, it faced other complications, such as hypoglycaemia and gastrointestinal problems, the centre said.
“Since its arrival, he had been struggling with a number of serious health concerns … which can make treatment difficult to stay ahead of,” said Dr Carrie Goertz, director of animal health at ASLC.
The care provided to the calf was, as the centre says, “more demanding than many other marine mammals require”.
The centre provided regular updates online of the walrus calf’s recovery, which originally gained international attention due to it requiring a 24-hour-care regime, which included “round-the-clock cuddling”.
They added that walruses are highly tactile and social animals, “requiring near constant care from their mothers during their first two years of life”.
The ASLC provided regular updates of the walrus calf receiving its intensive care from staff via social media, with images of the walrus maintaining constant contact and feeding reaching tens of thousands.
In order to emulate maternal closeness, round-the-clock cuddling was provided to ensure the calf remained calm and continued to develop healthily.
It was the ASLC’s first walrus patient in four years, and one of only 10 admitted in the centre’s 25-year history.
This range of the Pacific walrus includes the northern Bering and Chukchi seas, but the walruses are occasionally observed in areas like the Beaufort Sea to the north-east, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
The ASLC said that an autopsy would be conducted to understand more about the calf’s cause of death.
ABC/AP
Alaska
Flight attendant sacked for twerking on the job: ‘What’s wrong with a little twerk before work’
They deemed the stunt not-safe-for-twerk.
An Alaska Airlines flight attendant who was sacked for twerking on camera has created a GoFundMe to support her while she seeks a new berth.
The crewmember, named Nelle Diala, had filmed the viral booty-shaking TikTok video on the plane while waiting two hours for the captain to arrive, A View From the Wing reported.
She captioned the clip, which also blew up on Instagram, “ghetto bih till i D-I-E, don’t let the uniform fool you.”
Diala was reportedly doing a victory dance to celebrate the end of her new hire probationary period.
Unfortunately, her jubilation was short-lived as Alaska Airlines nipped her employment in the bum just six months into her contract.
The fanny-wagging flight attendant feels that she didn’t do anything wrong.
Diala has since reposted the twerking clip with the new caption: “Can’t even be yourself anymore, without the world being so sensitive. What’s wrong with a little twerk before work, people act like they never did that before.”
The new footage was hashtagged #discriminationisreal.
The disgraced stewardess even set up a GoFundMe page to help support the so-called “wrongfully fired” flight attendant until she can land a new flight attendant gig.
“I never thought a single moment would cost me everything,” wrote the ex-crewmember. “Losing my job was devastating.”
She claimed that the gig had allowed her to meet new people and see the world, among other perks.
While air hostessing was ostensibly a “dream job,” Diala admitted that she used the income to help fund her “blossoming lingerie and dessert businesses,” which she runs under the Instagram handles @cakezncake (which doesn’t appear to have any content?) and @figure8.lingerie.
As of Wednesday morning, the crowdfunding campaign has raised just $182 of its $12,000 goal.
Diala was ripped online for twerking on the job as well as her subsequent GoFundMe efforts.
“You don’t respect the uniform, you don’t respect your job then,” declared one critic on the popular aviation-focused Instagram page The Crew Lounge. “Terms and Conditions apply.”
“‘Support for wrongly fired flight attendant??’” mocked another. “Her GoFund title says it all. She still thinks she was wrongly fired. Girl you weren’t wrongly fired. Go apply for a new job and probably stop twerking in your uniform.”
“The fact that you don’t respect your job is one thing but doing it while in uniform and at work speaks volumes,” scoffed a third. “You’re the brand ambassador and it’s not a good look.”
Alaska
As Alaska sees a spike in Flu cases — another virus is on the rise in the U.S.
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU) – Alaska has recently seen a rise in both influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, better known as RSV. Amidst the spike in both illnesses, norovirus has also been on the rise in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it’s highly contagious and hand sanitizers don’t work well against it.
Current data for Alaska shows 449 influenza cases and 262 RSV cases for the week of Jan. 4. Influenza predominantly impacts the Kenai area, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, and the Northwest regions of the state. RSV is also seeing significant activity in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and Anchorage.
Both are respiratory viruses that are treatable, but norovirus — which behaves like the stomach flu according to the CDC — is seeing a surge at the national level. It “causes acute gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the stomach or intestines,” as stated on the CDC webpage.
This virus is spread through close contact with infected people and surfaces, particularly food.
“Basically any place that people aggregate in close quarters, they’re going to be especially at risk,” said Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent.
Preventing infection is possible but does require diligence. Just using hand sanitizer “does not work well against norovirus,” according to the CDC. Instead, the CDC advises washing your hands with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds. When preparing food or cleaning fabrics — the virus “can survive temperatures as high as 145°F,” as stated by the CDC.
According to Dr. Gupta, its proteins make it difficult to kill, leaving many cleaning methods ineffective. To ensure a given product can kill the virus, he advises checking the label to see if it claims it can kill norovirus. Gupta said you can also make your own “by mixing bleach with water, 3/4 of a cup of bleach per gallon of water.”
For fabrics, it’s best to clean with water temperatures set to hot or steam cleaning at 175°F for five minutes.
As for foods, it’s best to throw out any items that might have norovirus. As a protective measure, it’s best to cook oysters and shellfish to a temperature greater than 145°F.
Based on Alaska Department of Health data, reported COVID-19 cases are significantly lower than this time last year.
See a spelling or grammatical error? Report it to web@ktuu.com
Copyright 2025 KTVF. All rights reserved.
Alaska
Sky Watch Alaska: planets align plus the aurora forecast
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – This is a great time of year to do some star gazing. If you have clear skies in your part of Alaska, take the time to check out the night — and morning — sky.
After sunset, look toward the southwest. Saturn and Venus are snuggled up together (of course, they are more than 800 million miles apart) in the evening sky. They set at about 9:40 p.m. in Southcentral.
Before 9:40 p.m., you can see four planets with the naked eye — Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and Mars. Jupiter and Mars stick around through the morning. Mars is very close to the moon right now.
The Aurora forecast is fairly weak for the next few weeks. That’s not to say there won’t be the occasional burst but overall, solar activity is expected to be fairly low until the beginning of February.
If you get great pictures of the planets, the sky, or the aurora, don’t forget to send them to Alaska’s News Source.
See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com
Copyright 2025 KTUU. All rights reserved.
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