Baby river otter cubs learn to swim
Mo, a North American river otter born at the Oregon Zoo in late January 2013, took his first dip last week, but not without a lot of help from his mom. Tilly initiated the swimming lesson by nudging Mo to the water’s edge and then plunging in with a firm grip on the scruff of her pup’s neck, just as otter moms do in the wild.
“A lot of people don’t realize it, but swimming doesn’t come naturally to river otter pups,” said keeper Becca Van Beek. “They have to be taught to swim by their moms, and so far, Tilly’s been an amazing teacher.”
Even though Tilly is a first-time mom, she has been doing all the right things for her pup, according to keepers.
“It might look kind of scary to a casual observer,” (keeper Becca) Van Beek said. “She’ll grab Mo by the scruff of the neck and dunk him in the water. But that’s a very natural behavior. Baby otters are extremely buoyant, so Mo has built-in water wings for his swim lessons. This is how baby otters learn to swim, and it’s exactly what we’ve been hoping to see.”
Until last week, Tilly and her baby had occupied a private, off-exhibit maternity den. River otters are very dependent on their mothers when they’re born. It’s usually three to five weeks before young otters open their eyes, and about five weeks before the first walk.
After first baby-proofing the exhibit, zookeepers began giving Tilly and Mo outdoor access during the mornings, and since then the otters have been making quite a splash. The best time for zoo visitors to catch them is between 9:30 a.m. and noon, though the otters don’t always decide to venture out, Van Beek said.
Now that the threat from fur trappers has declined, North American river otters are once again relatively abundant in healthy river systems of the Pacific Northwest and the lakes and tributaries that feed them. Good populations exist in suitable habitats in the northeast and southeast Oregon, but they are scarce in heavily settled areas, especially if waterways are compromised. Because of habitat destruction and water pollution, river otters are considered rare outside the Pacific Northwest.
Metro, the regional government that manages the Oregon Zoo, has preserved and restored more than 90 miles of river and stream banks in the region through its voter-supported natural area programs. By protecting water quality and habitat, these programs are helping to provide the healthy ecosystems needed for otters, fish, and other wildlife to thrive. River otters are frequently observed in Metro region waterways.
Sources:
- https://youtu.be/Yc-13P6Yb_o
- https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/baby-river-otter-swimming-lesson
- https://www.oregonzoo.org/news/2013/04/zoos-baby-otter-gets-swimming-lessons-mom
- https://us-east-2.console.aws.amazon.com/polly/home/SynthesizeSpeech
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