Meet Pup 681, the orphaned southern sea otter in Chicago

Video: The otter pup was rescued along the southern California coast by state wildlife officials

Meet Pup 681, the orphaned southern sea otter in Chicago. (Shedd Aquarium)

Earlier this week, we thought the world's best job was a kitten cuddler, after a cat-rehoming centre in Newcastle asked for volunteers to help them stroke some tiny felines.

However, the title of world's greatest career may have changed hands now that the role of "teaching an otter pup to swim" has emerged in Chicago.

The Shedd Aquarium unveiled its latest resident this week: Pup 691, an orphaned southern sea otter pup only five weeks old and weighing just six pounds.

Pup 681 arrived in the Windy City on October 28 after being rescued by state wildlife officials on the southern California coast. She was then taken to Monterey Bay Aquarium before arriving at Shedd, an aquarium with 25 years' experience caring for fragile sea otter pups.

In the latest video from the Shedd team, pup 681 can be seen floating in a tiny swimming pool at the aquarium as well as being fed with a milk bottle.

Most of Shedd's current sea otters have been rescued, with the original four coming to the Chicago-based aquarium in 1989 after the devastating Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.

You can follow the progress of Pup 691 here.