Sapiunuk

female Pacific walrus (O. r. divergens)

wild caught in 1963

deceased in 1967

Ancestors and Descendants

No known related animals.

Transfer History

  1. capture 1963 in St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

  2. transfer 1963 to New York Aquarium

  3. death 1967 at New York Aquarium

Physical Data

The dates listed here generally represent the time at which the measurements were published, not necessarily the date on which they were taken.

Weight

  • 1965-Oct-20: 500 lbs

  • 1966: 1,000 lbs

Image Gallery

No images available at this time.

Notes and Information

While I have no specific information on this animal's date of capture, she was collected "in the spring".

Sapiunuk was the first walrus to successfully undergo anesthesia, utilizing a makeshift mask created from a beach ball and a bucket.

This walrus died from an intestinal blockage as a result of ingesting a rubber ball.

References

  • Dentist recaps walrus's tusks in delicate job at the aquarium. (1964, October 20). The New York Times, p. 39. Retrieved from The New York Times.

  • New York Zoological Society. (1963). Annual Report of the New York Zoological Society, Vol. 68, pp. 46, 52. Retrieved from Archive.org.

  • New York Zoological Society. (1966). Annual Report of the New York Zoological Society, Vol. 71, p. 52. Retrieved from Archive.org.

  • New York Zoological Society. (1967). Annual Report of the New York Zoological Society, Vol. 72, pp. 35, 53-54. Retrieved from Archive.org.