Powell, OH – The three male otters born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium on March 19, 2010 are beginning to venture out of the den and are receiving swimming lessons from their mother Audrey.
The young pups still spend most of their time secluded in the den. The mother otter removes them from the den one at a time and takes the reluctant pup to the water. She first teaches the pup to float, sometimes holding the pups on her stomach while she swims on her back. When she’s out far enough, she may sink forcing the pup to swim on its own while remaining close by to assist if necessary. Soon the pups will be as comfortable in the water as they are on land and will spend more time outside of the den playing with each other while Zoo visitors enjoy their antics.
A video of Audrey teaching her pups to swim can be viewed on the Zoo’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/Columbuszoomedia.
River otters were historically distributed throughout much of North America including Ohio but were rare by the early 1900s. Improvements in water quality and trapping management, along with a reintroduction effort, have enabled this species to recover. A reintroduction program beginning in 1998 in Ohio resulted in the river otter being removed from the Ohio endangered species list in 2002. They can now be found in four eastern Ohio watersheds.
Thirteen species of otter live in the freshwater streams, rivers, lakes and coastal areas of five continents – North America, South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe (there are no otters in Antarctica or Australia.) Through the Zoo’s Conservation Fund, researchers in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Peru receive support to train young otter biologists, protect habitat, and educate local populations about the important role otters play in wetland and coastal ecosystems.
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is open 363 days of the year 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. after Labor Day. General admission is $12.99 for adults, $7.99 for children ages 2 to 9 and seniors 60+. Children under 2 and Columbus Zoo members are free. The Zoo was named the #1 Zoo in America by USA Travel Guide and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA.) For more information and to purchase advance Zoo admission tickets, visit www.columbuszoo.org.
# # #