KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WSVN) — An orphaned otter died shortly after guests threw food into his enclosure at a Tennessee nature park.
The Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium announced the sad news on Facebook that their beloved otter named Otto died after he was taken to an animal hospital on May 30.
The park said Otto fell ill after guests threw food into his enclosure that his body could not tolerate.
Officials said it remains unclear what the exact cause of Otto’s death is, but a necropsy will be performed to find out.
The park received Otto in October 2017 when he was only a 9-month-old pup. Otto had come from a rehabilitation center in North Carolina, along with his sibling, after the pair lost their parents in a flood.
The original goal was to release him back into the wild, but the pups had lost their fear of humans and ended up staying at the park.
The park also reminded the public that feeding animals at the facility is strictly prohibited and that human food is often intolerable and potentially harmful to animals.
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