Cute Otters

"Avast ye maties, we be seizing your vessel!"

Six weeks old baby otters

One thing I love is opening my e-mail and finding new baby otter pictures! Matt, who is the head keeper at the British Wildlife Centre sent me these great pics of their baby otters. Stirling and Thisle are the proud parents of these 3 otters. If you live in the UK, why not stop in and visit their otters and maybe even help out the Centre by "adopting" an otter.

Thanks to our favorite photographer, Andy Critchfield for letting Matt know about CuteOtters.com.

Click here to visit Andy Critchfield's web site, Hardpoint Photography

Click here to visit the British Wildlife Centre website

Just 4 weeks old and adorable!

photo by Justin Sorensen, Watertown Daily News

Lucky New Yorkers have two new otters to go see at the New York State Zoo at Thompson Park!

From the Watertown Daily Times: The first of the river otters have arrived at the New York State Zoo at Thompson Park, awaiting the completion of their brand-new exhibit space.
The pair arrived Saturday evening from a North Carolina wildlife rehabilitation facility, and were lapping up attention from a parade of visiting zoo staff and friends in their off-exhibit holding areas Sunday afternoon.

If you're a NY resident and would like to help out the Zoo, they're looking for people to join their Otter 400 club. With a minimum $50 donation, you can help them build a new North American River Otter exhibit.

Click here to visit the NY State Zoo at Thompson Park web site to learn more

photo by Justin Sorensen, Watertown Daily News

I'm not sure why an otter grooming is so adorable but I can watch them groom forever. This cute little girl otter spent about 15 minutes straight just grooming and squishing her face. If you haven't been to Sea World yet, I highly recommend the trip. It was so much better than I ever expected and besides the awesome sea otters, there's an otter in a show who does a few tricks and you can get up close to dolphins! I can't wait to go again.

Click here to visit the Sea World, San Diego website

If you're around Worcester, MA, be sure to visit the Ecotarium for their Utter-Otter Love event going on from June 25-27.

From the Ecotarium website: Be playful and party like an otter!  Get wiggly and move like an otter, see some amazing otter artifacts, make your own fun otter crafts, hear the story of how Slydell and Little Girl Otter met, view a photo montage of their first days together, and watch as the otters receive toys, treats and training. Free with museum admission

Click here to learn more at the official Ecotarium website

This has to fall into the "Now, I've seen everything" category!

From the Monterey Aquarium: Dua, one of four Asian small-clawed otters at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, has learned to play the piano as a behind-the-scenes “enrichment.” Our husbandry staff created this activity to give Dua something interesting to do, extend his feeding time and make use of his incredible dexterity—a trait he shares with others of his species.

Click here to read more at Sea Notes, the Monterey Bay Aquarium blog

Lucky UK residents have three new adorable baby otters to visit at the Dudley Zoo!

From the Dudley Zoo: Three baby Asiatic short-clawed otters are making a splash at DZG as part of a major conservation programme for this rare species.
Proud parents, Lucy and Bruce, are currently showing off their new brood to visitors in Monkey Tails.
The litter of two males, named Jack and Jet, and one female, called Sky, is already proving popular with staff and visitors alike.

Click here to visit the Dudley Zoo website

Selah the otter has been bringing her new babies out to teach them how to swim and fend for themselves at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Kansas. If you go to the Wichita Eagle website you can watch video of the otters!

From The Wichita Eagle: Since Sunday, the river otter at the Sedgwick County Zoo has been teaching her four babies, born March 26, to turn and twirl and use their tails as rudders when they swim.
She has even grabbed a reluctant baby otter and pulled it by the scruff of its neck to teach it to dive underwater, said senior keeper, Brian Helten.

Click here to read more at the Wichita Eagle

Click here to visit the Sedgwick County Zoo website