Tipuk

female Pacific walrus (O. r. divergens)

wild caught in May, 1961

deceased on August, 1963

Ancestors and Descendants

No known related animals.

Transfer History

  1. capture 1961-May in Gambell, Alaska

  2. transfer 1961-May-25 to New York Aquarium

  3. death 1963-Aug 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

  • 1962-Oct-09: 650 lbs

  • 1963-May: 800 lbs

Daily diet

  • 1963-May: "raw clams, skimmer clams, Spisula solidissima and Mactra"

Image Gallery

No images available at this time.

Notes and Information

While I am not certain of this animal's date of capture, it certainly took place at some point in May, as the herd arrived in the United States on May 25th following the associate curator of the aquarium's only two week stay in Alaska.

From the New York Zoological Society 1963 annual report -- "In March, "Tipuk," a two-year old female walrus, developed a severe purulent rhinitis caused by hemolytic streptococcus and two strains of coliforms. Antibiotics temporarily controlled the condition but later in the summer infection reappeared. Focus of the infection was probably her tusks, which she had ground down. Attempts to anesthetize her in August in order to treat and cap the infected tusks proved fatal."

References

  • Coates, C. W. (2007). Walruses and whales in the New York Aquarium. International Zoo Yearbook, 4(1), 10-11. doi:10.1111/j.1748-1090.1963.tb03602.x

  • New York Zoological Society. (1961). Annual report of the New York Zoological Society, Vol. 66, pp. 38, 40. Retrieved from Archive.org.

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

  • We're sorry we sneezed, Aivok. (1961, October 23). Daily News, p. 6. Retrieved from Newspapers.com.