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Orphaned Otter Found In Brandon Now Named 'Brandon'

Tribune photo by KATHY MOORE

The newly named otter is show here on March 4 at the Florida Aquarium after being rescued.

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TBO.com

Published: March 11, 2009

TAMPA - "Rico" didn't have quite enough of a ring to it, so it wound up in second place.

"Squeaker" and "Ollie" didn't even come close to sniffing the top spot.

So "Brandon" won out and became the name of the 3-month-old orphaned otter that was found last week in a back yard in – appropriately enough—Brandon.

More than 27,000 votes were cast to name the critter, which now calls the Florida Aquarium home, spokesman Tom Wagner said.

The "Brandon" moniker received 9,000 votes; "Rico" got 7,000.

The otter is spending significant time with marine biologists and may need to be fed by hand so it will become accustomed to people.

Once healthy, Brandon will be introduced gradually to the aquarium's other otters. One of the grown otters will teach it how to swim, a task mothers perform in the wild, Wagner said.

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