Japanese fans bid farewell to Kira the sea otter

Visitors to an aquarium in central Japan have bid farewell to Kira, a popular female sea otter, died on Thursday.

Kira was born at a Wakayama Prefecture theme park in 2008. She was transferred to the Toba Aquarium in Mie Prefecture in 2021, joining Mei, another female sea otter. The two used adorable gestures that earned popularity among visitors.

With the death of Kira, 22-year-old Mei is now the last remaining sea otter held in captivity in Japan. A number of people formed a line in front of a memorial message board for Kira when the aquarium opened on Saturday. They wrote farewell messages on sticky notes shaped like three of Kira’s favourite foods, including squid.