MIAMI (WSVN) - Zoo Miami welcomed three otter pups to the world on Tuesday.
“Zinnia,” a 5-year-old North American river otter gave birth to three pups at the Florida: Mission Everglades exhibit at Zoo Miami, according to a news release.
This is Zinnia’s second litter of babies, and they underwent a quick neonatal exam Wednesday morning to determine the gender, get their weight and do a quick overall physical exam. The zoo said all the pups are healthy.
Zinnia’s pregnancy lasted about two months, said the zoo, and the pups, one female and two males, were born in a secluded den.
Zinnia came to Zoo Miami in April of 2019 from the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island where she was born.
The 7-year-old father’s name is Edison, and he arrived at Zoo Miami in October of 2016 after being rescued as an orphan and hand-raised by a group called Wild Florida.
“North American river otters are extremely active and playful animals that are found in a variety of fresh water habitats throughout much of the U.S. and Canada. They can grow 3-4 feet long including the tail and usually weigh between 12 and 25 pounds with the males getting slightly larger than the females,” the news release said. “In the wild, they live around 10 years but can live twice that long under human care. In addition to being quick, agile swimmers, they are also capable of running up to 15 mph on land.”
Zinnia and the pups will remain isolated behind the scenes for a still to-be-determined amount of time to ensure that mother and her babies have minimal disturbances while they bond and grow.
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