News and Stories

There’s no denying it—Cincinnati Zoo’s newest residents have quickly stolen hearts! A litter of playful otter pups has made their debut, and their curiosity, energy, and undeniable cuteness are already making a splash. From learning to swim to tumbling over each other in the nest box, these little ones are growing fast and giving both guests and keepers plenty to smile about.

Asian small-clawed otter (ASCO) pups are born with their eyes closed and with white/silvery colored fur that darkens with time. Even though they spend a LOT of time in the water, ASCO pups aren’t born knowing how to swim and actually have to be taught by their moms and dads! Both parents are heavily involved in care of the pups and the family develops really strong bonds with each other.

And they are NOISY! 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”), 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.

Because otter pups are not born knowing how to swim and instead have to be taught this skill by mom and dad, keeper staff limited the depth of water that is available to the pups in the early weeks. As they developed their comfort and abilities in the practice/kiddie pools, keepers can increase the depth and dynamism of the aquatic environments available to them.

The outdoor habitat with it’s 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.

Tiny Pups, Big Personalities

Since they are so little, their personalities are very much still developing and could change in the future, but so far we can tell you the following:

Splash

• Seems to be our little introvert of the bunch!
• If a pup is ever missing from the action, it’s usually Splash that 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.
• ASCOs are a highly social species, so Splash’s personality is a bit out of the ordinary and may change as he ages.

Puddles

• Early on, Pudd would often leave the nest box in search of Munti and extra solo nursing time.
• Look for the white fur on the tip of his tail to easily identify him among the brothers.
• Puddles is a bit of a grab bag baby… he 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

• Our “foodie” of the bunch!
• When the otter pups finally started to explore solid foods, Scuttle dove in head first and got the hang of eating solids quicker than his brothers.
• He tries everything but doesn’t necessarily like everything.
• When Scuttle is chowing down on one of his favorite treats (smelt or shrimp) his eyes get HUGE!
• He can be sassy and spicy at times and reminds us very much of his mother Munti with his big personality!

Ripple

• Rip seems to be our bad boy of the bunch.
• Ripple LOVES to spar/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.
• This is a normal behavior for their species, because while ASCOs live in family groups (called “romps”), at dinner time, it’s every otter for themself and otters are responsible for finding and holding onto their own food.
• Ripple seems to have taken that lesson to heart and makes it known he will fight you for your food and once he has food in tiny hand, he defends his snacks with a surprising amount of ferocity for such a tiny otter.

Right now, the pups are spending a lot of time sticking closely to mom and dad while on habitat. 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.

They are still nursing and napping a lot! So 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. 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 on habitat.

The pups are very popular! Guests gush over their cuteness and how “bouncy” they are when navigating the land portions of their habitat. And if the crowds aren’t too large, you will probably hear the pups squeaking and calling to mom and dad almost constantly.

The underwater viewing adds a whole other element to experiencing these charismatic kiddos… 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!

As these otter pups continue to grow and explore, each day brings a new adventure—and a new reason to fall in love with them. Watching them learn, play, and develop their unique personalities is a joyful reminder of the important role the Zoo plays in connecting people with wildlife. We can’t wait for you to see them in action and share in the excitement of their journey. Be sure to stop by on your next visit and catch these little swimmers making a big splash!