Back in the fall of 2012, Mitik, a 234-pound orphaned baby walrus from Alaska, was brought to the New York Aquarium in Coney Island at just 15-weeks-old. He got props from Stephen Colbert and he survived Sandy—and now he's left our fair city for warmer weather in Texas.
"It’s a positive move for him, and it’s also a positive move for the aquarium because it allows us to work on the life support system in 'Sea Cliffs' " Jon Forrest Dohlin, vice president and director of the aquarium, told the Times. Dohlin was referring to the aquarium's marine mammal exhibit, which was heavily damaged during Sandy. Dohlin promises that Mitik will return eventually, which is especially important since visitors to the aquarium hadn't gotten to see him in person as a baby.
The other reason they're sending him to Texas is so he can socialize with other walruses. Because here's the best part: Mitik kinda thinks he's human. “He’s got a big pool and has plenty of room for physical growth and exercise," Dohlin said about Mitik's currently living situation at SeaWorld San Antonio. "But he’s making a funny transition from understanding that he’s a human to understanding that he’s a walrus. During his first look at a walrus, he was like, 'What’s that?'"
Nothing in this world is as good as Mitik.
