Otterly Adorable!

We are celebrating the arrival of three adorable Asian small-clawed otters, which have just arrived from Adelaide Zoo.

 Boo, Bal and Bel are all related to one another. Boo is Mum, and brother and sister, Bal and Bel, are her offspring.

 These playful characters are settling in well and are enjoying exploring their new surroundings. Their den also has a fast flowing stream which they love to swim in!

The Asian Small-clawed Otter is the smallest otter in the world. When fully grown, these otters measure approximately 0.9m from nose to tail tip and weigh up to 5kg, compared to a Giant Otter which can reach lengths of up to 1.7 meters. Asian Small-clawed Otters are also differentiated from other Otters by their partially-webbed limbs and nimble fingers.Unlike most other Otters, they use their forepaws to locate and capture prey instead of their mouths. They are excellent hunters, gliding along the surface of the water, with their head beneath the surface as they scan for tasty crustaceans. Once spotted, they dive down and catch their prey with their front paws, returning to land to feed. Throughout Asia, the Otter’s habitat is being taken over by agriculture such as rice fields. Even in rice fields the Otters still forage for food, and although food for them is limited, their persistence in finding it leads to farmers perceiving them as pests. Due to this ongoing habitat loss and pollution, the Asian Small-clawed Otter is now listed as Vulnerable to extinction.