Sea otter makes waves with her basketball skills

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVU) - A rescued sea otter from California is making quite a name for herself at the Oregon Zoo. 

The basketball-dunking marine mammal named Juno has become a popular figure at the zoo, where she gets a lot of attention for her impressive ball-handling skills. 

As a pup, the southern sea otter was found stranded on the California coast in 2014. The Monterey Bay Aquarium rescued her and eventually found her a permanent home at the Oregon Zoo.

Juno is not the first sea otter zoo trainers taught to play basketball. Another rescue from California named Eddie learned the game, which trainers used as physical therapy to help ease arthritis he was suffering in his elbow. 

Eddie died last December, at almost 21-years-old. He lived to be one of the oldest known sea otters in the world, according to the zoo. 

The basketball exercise therapy proved to be effective on Eddie, so trainers taught Juno how to dunk, figuring it could help her too as she got older.

Officials said Juno has gotten fancy with her moves, putting her own "spin" on the dunk, as she's seen adding a graceful twirl before dunking the ball.

In the words of the Oregon Zoo, "Juno may be a rookie, but she's an ottermatic All-Star." 

This story was reported from Oakland, Calif.