Posted August 21, 2019 in New Arrivals
We’ve welcomed two otter pups!
From the 17th – 21st June 2019 our breeding female otter Chea was spending most her time in a holt at Otter Creek and it is around this time that keepers suspect we welcomed two smooth coated otter pups! For the first few weeks the pair stayed in the holt being cared for by mum Chea and dad Kong-Kea whilst they grew in strength and size.
Now the pups are older they have been fully integrated with the rest of the family and enjoy exploring above ground and swimming in the pool with all their siblings! Keepers have confirmed that both pups are male and have since named them Kio and Dasha.
Smooth-coated Otter parents, dad, Kong Kea and mum, Chea, joined Colchester Zoo in October 2010 from the Rare Species Conservation Centre (RSCC) in Kent. Since joining Colchester Zoo they have had a number of successful litters and prove to be very attentive and brilliant parents.
Smooth-coated otters are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list so this exciting news is also very important to the breeding programme and species as a whole.
Did you know that Smooth-coated otters, such as our family, have thick and velvety fur which is in two layers; the guard fur keeps the underfur dry underwater to help the otters retain body heat.
Stop by Otter Creek to see our otter family swim, eat, sleep and play!
