COMPLETE AND OTTER CHAOS
- Wednesday 15th May 2024
In an otter-ly adorable love story, otters Badger and Isa have welcomed four playful pups to the world following a whirlwind romance at SEA LIFE Weymouth.
Asian short-clawed otter Badger had been living the bachelor life for 10 years, after refusing to settle for anything other than purr-fection. However, following a revamp to his habitat, Badger found otter-nal love with fellow Asian short-clawed otter Isa, with the sparks flying immediately.
Isa, who was born in 2020, arrived at SEA LIFE Weymouth in summer 2022, and the pair have been inseparable ever since.
With the relationship going swimmingly, aquarists suspected Isa might be pregnant. One morning during feeding time as they approached the otter’s home, the team were greeted by adorable tiny squeaks.
The team installed a nest cam to monitor the otters closely. Whilst they initially, believed there was only one baby they soon discovered that Badger and Isa had created a whole ‘quad’ of happiness as four very cute babies venture out of the nest and into the holt..
The family of six will now live happily together in SEA LIFE Weymouth’s otter habitat, which features a range of enrichment activities for Badger, Isa and their new bundles of joy, including:
- Asian themed garden
- Tunnels
- A large open space for the family to run around and play together
- Incredible viewing access for guests visiting the attraction.
Kico Iraola, Curator at SEA LIFE Weymouth, said: “We are delighted to welcome our four new arrivals to the world. It’s been amazing to see Badger grow up over the past decade, finally find a suitable mate and now become a father for the very first time!
“The team are thrilled with the pups and it’s fantastic to see the great work they’ve put in, and continue to do so, to ensure the new family are well looked after and have everything they could possibly need.”
The playful pups have gained more confidence since their birth and will soon be able to explore the full habitat, discovering all its opportunities for adventure… and maybe even surprising guests by running, playfighting and rolling around, all under the watchful eyes of Isa and Badger of course.
Did you know?
- The IUCN Red List classifies Asian small-clawed otters as vulnerable, and habitat destruction plays a major role in the reduction of their numbers in their native Asia.
- By breeding aquarium-born otters, SEA LIFE is able to help educate the public about their plight in the wild while ensuring that this vulnerable listed species thrives without threat.
