Asian Short Clawed Otter. As she was due to give birth in Mid-November, Exploris staff were surprised to find Sungari and the little newborn tucked up together in a nest of straw during an afternoon feed.
Exploris staff vowed to keep the secret of the little one landing until the pup was at least 6 weeks old. Using the codeword ‘EWOK’ to talk about the pup and by covering the small window that looks in to the holt, this provided privacy to the family of 4 and the staff ensured not to share the good news with anyone, just yet.
However, before too soon, brother Brunei wanted to share the exciting news. At birth, Asian Short Clawed Otters are completely dependent on their parents and older siblings to keep them warm – mum feeds them milk and the whole family provides protection. During this time the pup stays inside its straw nest. Brunei had a different idea…
At just 3 weeks old, he decided to take his younger sibling outside to join his parents while they had a meal. The secret was out – Sungari immediately sprang to action and returned the pup to the safety of the holt.
Amy Robinson from Exploris Aquarium said: “The pup is growing quickly and already looks like a miniature version of his dad, Bourbon. As yet we do not know the gender of the little one, however, during a development check at five weeks old we think it may be male. Our little ‘Ewok’ is due to leave the straw nest and begin exploring outside in January with big brother Brunei.”
Be sure to keep an eye on Exploris social media pages this new year for the return of Ewok- there will more pictures and updates of the new addition to the otter family.
To plan your visit to Exploris go to:
Phone: 028 4272 8062
Email: info@explorisni.com
