Taronga Western Plains Zoo welcomed four Oriental Small-clawed Otter pups on May 1.

The pups have been tucked away in their den since birth, but have recently started to emerge for short periods, giving zoo guests a sneak peek of their cuteness. Keepers have been monitoring the pups in the den via CCTV cameras.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Conaghan

The four pups are all doing well, as is first-time mother Jafar and father Harry. The pups received a clean bill of health from zoo vets at their first check-up and vaccinations. Keepers confirmed that there are three females and one male in the litter.

Father Harry arrived at Taronga Western Plains Zoo from Singapore earlier this year. Jafar and Harry bonded very quickly, and it became evident to keepers that Jafar was pregnant just a few weeks after she met Harry.

“We monitored the Otter dens closely via CCTV cameras in the lead-up to the birth as well as for the first four weeks after they were born,” said Senior Keeper Ian Anderson. “Both Jafar and Harry are proving to be great parents. It is normal for Otter parents to both help raise the young pups.”

Keepers have named the three females named Akira, Luna, and Rani, while the male has been named Anng.

The Otter pups’ growth and development is on track, and they have met all their expected milestones.

Native to wetlands in South and Southeast Asia, Oriental Small-clawed Otters are the smallest of all living Otter species. They are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to habitat loss, pollution, and human encroachment.