The otter pups are doing well!

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Here at the zoo we are excited to announce that our river otter pups are healthy and growing well!

As of February 27th, they are a month old and have put on around 848 grams (~1.9pounds).

While we are excited to show them off and know people can’t wait to see them, it will still be at least another month or two until they are on exhibit. Even though the pups are growing great they have many obstacles to overcome before they can go onto our exhibits.

Right now their eyes are only halfway open. Typically their eyes do not open fully until 35 days. At 35-42 days they begin crawling.  Even though otters seem at home in the water they do not naturally know how to swim! Mom starts swimming lessons at around 56 days.

Quiet time with mom away from strangers, loud noises, and other stressful situations is critical for the pups to reach these milestones and thrive. Once they have conquered their swimming lessons we will begin introducing them to our exhibits.