Adorable Otter Pups Make a Splash in New Cincinnati Zoo Habitat

Visitors are flipping out over the cutest new residents at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. For the first time, a new litter of Asian small-clawed otter pups was born at this zoo! They are now viewable to the public in the outdoor habitat at the Elephant Trek.

“They are adorable!” Wendy Rice, team leader of Siamang Point at Cincinnati Zoo, tells A-Z Animals. The new pups were born to mom Munti and dad Flounder and are named Ripple, Splash, Puddles, and Scuttle.

“[Otter pups] are born with their eyes closed and with white/silvery colored fur that darkens with time,” Rice says. “Even though they spend a lot of time in the water, Asian small-clawed otter pups aren’t born knowing how to swim and actually have to be taught by their moms and dads.”

Luckily, Asian small-clawed otters are very involved parents, with families developing really strong bonds with each other. So they have no problem teaching their pups how to swim — and splash and play, too!

The First Few Weeks of Life

The new otter pups are also noisy, according to Rice. “Most often under human care, otter pups are heard long before they are seen as the parents will keep them safe and hidden inside of their nest (or ‘holt’),” Rice says. “But due to the vocal nature of this species, keeper staff hear the babies squeaking and crying for mom and dad long before they make their first visual appearance.” How cute is that?

Once the zoo staff were alerted to the presence of these adorable little pups, zookeepers kept them away from the public for about two months. They also limited the depth of water available to the pups in the early weeks to make it easier for their parents to teach them how to swim.

“As they develop their comfort and abilities in the practice/kiddie pools, keepers can increase the depth and dynamism of the aquatic environments available to them,” Rice explains. “The outdoor habitat with its massive waterfall, creek, and deep-water pool is the ultimate challenge in terms of the pups’ ability to safely navigate a water environment, so the pups were kept off-habitat and safely indoors until keeper staff (and parents Munti and Flounder) were sure they’d be safe outside.”

What Are the Otter Pups Up to Now?

“Right now, the pups are spending a lot of time sticking closely to mom and dad while on habitat,” Rice shares. “They are still getting their bearings and growing comfortable with navigating the outdoor habitat (and coming to terms with their celebrity status in Cincy!). We’ve seen some independent play from them in the shallow water shelf of the creek section of their habitat, and they especially love playing in the jet stream of water in this location.”

Because the pups are still so young, they spend most of their time nursing and napping. “If you’re lucky, you’ll catch them out and active, but more likely they’ll be hidden in a nest area napping or nursing for many hours of the day,” Rice says. “As they grow and become weaned, they’ll be spending more time out and about, but for now, guests will still need a fair amount of luck to actually see the pups in their habitat.”

Big Personalities

Although the otter pups are little, they are already showing off their unique personalities.

“Splash seems to be the little introvert of the bunch,” Rice says. “If a pup is ever missing from the action, it’s usually Splash who is away from his brothers, playing contentedly by himself or napping in a corner. Splash has discovered the joys of having ‘me time’ early in life.”

She adds, “Asian small-clawed otters are a highly social species, so Splash’s personality is a bit out of the ordinary and may change as he ages.”

Puddles, on the other hand, doesn’t like being alone.

“Early on, Puddles would often leave the nest box in search of Munti and extra solo nursing time,” Rice says. “Look for the white fur on the tip of his tail to easily identify him among the brothers. Puddles seems to end up on his own every once in a while, but doesn’t panic about it. He’s super happy wrestling with his bros or venturing out into the deep water next to (or sometimes on top of) his Dad. He seems to have a sweet disposition overall.”

Scuttle is the foodie of the bunch. “When the otter pups finally started to explore solid foods, Scuttle dove in headfirst and got the hang of eating solids quicker than his brothers,” Rice shares. “He tries everything but doesn’t necessarily like everything.”

If he does like what he eats, Scuttle makes it known. “When Scuttle is chowing down on one of his favorite treats (smelt or shrimp), his eyes get HUGE!” she says. “He can be sassy and spicy at times and reminds us very much of his mother, Munti, with his big personality.”

Finally, Ripple is the bad boy of the bunch. “Ripple loves to spar and play-fight with his brothers, and on numerous occasions, we’ve observed Ripple getting physical with his brothers and even both parents over food items,” Rice reveals. “This is a normal behavior for their species, because while Asian small-clawed otters live in family groups (called ‘romps’), at dinner time, it’s every otter for themselves. Otters are responsible for finding and holding onto their own food, and Ripple seems to have taken that lesson to heart.”

“[Ripple] makes it known he will fight you for your food, and once he has food in a tiny hand, he defends his snacks with a surprising amount of ferocity for such a tiny otter,” Rice adds.

Cute and Bouncy Pups

These baby otters are incredibly cute, and zoo visitors love seeing them in action. “The pups are very popular!” Rice says. “Guests gush over their cuteness and how ‘bouncy’ they are when navigating the land portions of their habitat.”

If the crowds aren’t too large, Rice shares that you can hear the pups squeaking and calling to their mom and dad almost constantly. And, of course, you can watch them playing in the water.

“The underwater viewing adds a whole other element to experiencing these charismatic kiddos,” Rice continues. “You can observe them ‘doggy-paddling’ when on the surface of the water and then watch as they switch to ‘mermaid mode’ with whole-body undulating to dive down deep. It’s almost impossible not to audibly ‘awwww’ at them when they stuff food into their mouths with their tiny, partially webbed hands. And if you’re really lucky, you’ll get to observe them rubbing, rolling, scooting, and shuffling on the grass to dry off their coats after a swim!”

How to Visit

Asian small-clawed otters won’t reach maturity until about 1-and-a-half years, and even then, will only be about two feet long and weigh less than 10 pounds. They are native to freshwater and coastal waters in Southeast Asia, southern China, and southern India, so you won’t find them in the wild if you live in the U.S. It’s no wonder visitors are flocking to see the new otter pups at Cincinnati Zoo right now!

The Cincinnati Zoo knows people are eager to see these precious pups, but they want to remind everyone to be patient.

“While [the pups] are on habitat and visible to our guests for parts of the day, they are still young and a long way from being full-time visibility zoo critters,” Rice explains. “As they get older, their visibility and time on habitat will increase, and we are grateful for our guests’ understanding that they still need time to be babies.”

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