Four Pups are ‘Otter This World’

by | Apr 17, 2014 | Press Releases

Four Pups are ‘Otter This World’ Date:Thu, 04/17/2014 BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — April 17, 2014 – Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo welcomes four North American River otter pups, born on February 15, 2014. The babies had their first exam by the Zoo’s veterinarian today, revealing the gender and general health of the otters. The exam revealed that two female and two male otters were born. The females weighed in at 3.1 lbs and 2.29 lbs while the males weighed in at 3.06 lbs and 3.4 lbs. Dr. Hochman, who has been a vet at the Zoo for 43 years, checked their overall wellness, listened to their hearts, and gave them their first vaccination. The pups also had identification transponders inserted. This is standard operating procedure and does not cause the animals any discomfort.    “At nearly nine weeks old, the pups have yet to venture out in public,” explained Zoo Director Gregg Dancho. “They opened their eyes for the first time about two weeks ago and are just starting to explore the world around them. We expect that any day now, their mom will be coaxing them out to teach them to swim. If all goes well, these little ones will be swimming like pros within a week.” Mom, named Necedah, arrived at Connecticut’s only zoo in 2012 from the Minnesota Zoo and Dad, Rizzo, arrived in 2004 from the St. Louis Zoo. She is two years old and he is 11 years old. This is Necedah’s first litter and Rizzo’s fifth. Currently, Rizzo, Necedah, and their pups are the only otters in residence at the Zoo. The four pups are expected...