Sivuqaq, also known as Jocko, was a
Pacific walrus
The walrus (''Odobenus rosmarus'') is a large pinniped marine mammal with discontinuous distribution about the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. It is the only extant species in the family Odobenida ...
at the
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (formerly known as Six Flags Marine World, Marine World, The New Marine World Theme Park, and Marine World Africa USA) is a 135-acre (55 ha) animal theme park located in Vallejo, California, off of Interstate 80 i ...
in
Vallejo,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
.
He was the subject of several television and radio programmes,.
Some of which focussed on the steps his keepers took to encourage him to mate successfully. He was one of a number of walrus calves brought to Vallejo in 1994; the three others were the females Qiluk, Uquq, and Siku. They were orphaned as the result of hunting near the city of
Gambell, Alaska
Gambell () is a city in the Nome Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. Located on St. Lawrence Island, it had a population of 640 at the 2020 census, down from 681 in 2010.
History
''Sivuqaq'' is the Yupik language name for St. Law ...
,.
Gambell's name in
Yupik, "Sivuqaq", inspired his name. He died in 2015.
Research
Sivuqaq was the subject of research on the vocalisation,
reproductive habits,
and cognition
of walruses.
Acting career
Sivuqaq appeared as Jocko in the 2004 film ''
50 First Dates
''50 First Dates'' is a 2004 American romantic comedy film directed by Peter Segal and starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, with Rob Schneider, Sean Astin, Lusia Strus, Blake Clark, and Dan Aykroyd in supporting roles. It follows the st ...
''.
References
{{reflist
External links
* https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/20/health/20iht-20walrusbr.13033370.html
1994 animal births
2015 animal deaths
Individual animals in the United States
Individual walruses