Last month, the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, Wash., welcomed one of its newest fluff babies to its family—and it also might be one of its cutest. It’s an Asian small-clawed otter that was born to one of the zoo’s otter pairs. The staff also welcomed an adult male otter named Yuki.
Point Defiance Zoo also shared a video of the baby otter. It’s incredibly adorable as it shows the baby otter making squeaky noises before receiving a routine health checkup, including measuring the otter’s weight and temperature.
The baby was born to Sebastian and Pintar, an otter pair that was brought to the zoo last spring. “The pup is most likely male and is developing well,” said Dr. Karen Wolf, Point Defiance Zoo’s head veterinarian, in a statement. “At one month old, he weighed just under a pound and showed strong vigor, a round, healthy belly, and good overall condition. His eyes are still closed, which is normal at this stage.”
Otters have an interesting developmental process in which their eyes do not fully open until around 45 days after birth. They do not have self-thermoregulation until around day 38. They begin independent movement between 39 and 50 days after birth. And they don’t get their full coats until six to seven weeks after birth.
Yuki, the adult male Asian small-clawed otter, was brought to the zoo and aquarium on a “breeding recommendation” through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Special Survival Plan. Yuki was released into the Asian Forest Sanctuary at the zoo and aquarium and was paired with Arista, one of the zoo’s female otters. The zoo announced the arrival of both otters, along with adorable photos of Yuki and Arista playing together.
