Saying Goodbye to ‘Kwando’
Earlier this month, we were heartbroken to say goodbye to our male slender-tailed meerkat, Kwando. After a sudden onset of neurological symptoms, Kwando was quickly brought to our Animal Health Centre. An…
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Bite-Sized
An Exciting Otter Pup-date
March 27, 2025 | 1 minute read
We’re thrilled to share some otter-ly exciting news—our North American river otter bevy has grown!
On March 11th, 8-year-old North American river otter, ‘Kate’, welcomed a litter of two pups. This is Kate’s third successful litter with her longtime mate, ‘Finnegan’.
At ~2 weeks old, the pups are snug in the den, their eyes still closed as they rely entirely on Kate during these early days. As an experienced otter mom, Kate has been doing a great job of caring for the pups.
Fun facts: North American river otter pups are born blind! Their eyes typically open fully around days 28-35. By 35-42 days, they start crawling and exploring their surroundings. It won’t be until they’re 56-70 days old that they’ll take their first swim.
We have not yet confirmed the sex of the pups. Our Animal Care, Health & Welfare team is closely monitoring our new arrivals from a distance to ensure Kate and her pups have important time to bond. While you won’t be able to visit them just yet, we’ll continue to share updates about our bevy of joy!