The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) is celebrating the birth of six adorable Asian small-clawed otters at Edinburgh Zoo. Born on 23 May to parents Barry and Luna, the pups recently received their first health check. Expert vets at the wildlife conservation charity confirmed they are five boys and one girl. All pups are doing well.

Alison MacLean, carnivore team leader at Edinburgh Zoo said, “We are delighted to welcome our newest additions, who are already proving to be very feisty. Barry and Luna arrived at the zoo in 2020 and have previously shown themselves to be very attentive parents. They can often be seen swimming and diving with their older pups in the stream in their enclosure.

On Tuesday, February 6th, “Zinnia,” a 5 year old North American river otter gave birth to three pups at the Florida: Mission Everglades exhibit at Zoo Miami!  This is Zinnia’s second litter of babies and they underwent a quick neonatal exam this morning to determine the gender, get their weights and do a quick overall physical exam.  We are happy to report that they all appear healthy! 

After a pregnancy of approximately 2 months, the pups, one female and two males, weighing between 147 and 167 grams, were born in a secluded den where all initial indications are that they are being well cared for by Zinnia.  She arrived at Zoo Miami in April of 2019 from the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island where she was born.  Zinnia and the pups will remain isolated behind the scenes for a still to be determined amount of time to ensure that mother and her babies have minimal disturbances while they bond and grow.

While CZS Brookfield Zoo’s Asian small-clawed otters were born in November of last year, 2022 still brought many milestones for the precious pups. Take a look at their progress throughout the year, from playing in the pool for the first time to fishing for live minnows!

Recently, Brookfield Zoo’s nearly 10-month-old Asian small-clawed otter pups had access to their habitat along with the white-cheeked gibbons. Last Friday (September 9), one of the pups seemed very inquisitive about the new “neighbors” and went over to investigate. Neubo, an 8-year-old male white-cheeked gibbon, didn’t seem to mind the curious otter. In the past, animal care staff has observed similar interactions with introductions between the two species. For this particular instance, staff is not sure if these encounters will continue or if the novelty will wear off. Guests can see the gibbons and otters in Brookfield Zoo’s Tropic Word: Asia habitat.

 (credit Lynette Kleisner/CZS-Brookfield Zoo)

The Asian small-clawed otters at Brookfield Zoo have been behind the scenes due to maintenance work in their habitat in Tropic World: Asia. As you can see, they continue to grow and thrive, and are receiving lots of enrichment thanks to their care team!

Previously on ZooBorns:

https://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2022/01/asian-small-clawed-otter-pups-born-at-brookfield-zoo.html

https://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2022/02/names-chosen-for-brookfield-zoos-asian-small-clawed-otter-pups.html

The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher welcomed the birth of three female Asian small-clawed otters Saturday, May 21. This overwhelming amount of adorable represents success in the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan®(SSP) Program. You can track the pups’ progress on the NCAFF blog, but we’ve gathered up some of the best pictures of the trio to date.

Leeuwarden, April 10, 2022 - Spring has arrived at AquaZoo Leeuwarden. Two Asian small-clawed otters, Balearic toads and one Tammar wallaby were born in the zoo in Leeuwarden.

The Asian small-clawed otter has a hard time in nature, partly because the habitat of these animals is being reduced due to deforestation. Small-clawed otters are also hunted for their fur or to be kept as pets. William Kreijkes, head of animal care, is therefore very happy with this birth in AquaZoo. "With this we contribute to the conservation of this species and we can make our visitors aware of the threats to these animals in nature."

MORE PICS BELOW THE FOLD!

Births are a first for Zoo New England’s Stone Zoo

 Stoneham, Mass.: March 10, 2022: Stone Zoo is thrilled to announce its newest addition of otterly-adorable residents – a trio of North American river otter kits born February 16.
 
Born to first-time mom, Dunkin, the kits are doing well and are bonding with their mother behind the scenes. For the first several months of their lives, North American river otter kits are completely dependent on their mother and spend time in their den under her watchful eye. Stay tuned to our website at StoneZoo.org and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/stonezoo/) for updates on the kits as they continue to grow and reach milestones.

The Budapest Zoo’s giant otter pups are 5 months old and they are living with their parents Madidi (father) and Cumana (mother) and their siblings Bahia (female) and Manu (male). They can be seen at Budapest Zoo from the middle of March.

Special thanks to nature loving, slow living adventurer @vadsajkod for their translation help. See their adventures here: https://www.instagram.com/vadsajkod/

Milwaukee County Zoo is happy to announce the birth of 4 North American River Otters. Mother Shamrock gave birth to her pups on February 7, 2022. They are all healthy and doing well. The pups were recently weighed.