Six Otter Pups Have Their Health Check at Edinburgh Zoo

Six Asian short-clawed otter pups have been born at The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo. Parents Barry and Luna welcomed the new additions to their family on May 23rd 2023.

Recently vets at the conservation zoo undertook their first health check on the pups this week. During the check they were able to confirm the gender of the pups with five boys and one girl. All of the pups are currently doing well.

Currently nine weeks old the pups remain dependent on their mother. Much of the families time is spent in their underground holts (den). As they become more adventurous in coming weeks guests may be luckily enough to see them.

Alison MacLean, carnivore team leader at Edinburgh Zoo said, “We are delighted to welcome our newest additions, who are already proving to be very feisty. Barry and Luna arrived at the zoo in 2020 and have previously shown themselves to be very attentive parents. They can often be seen swimming and diving with their older pups in the stream in their enclosure.

“With the addition of the new arrivals, we now have 14 Asian small-clawed otters here at the zoo. The species live in family groups consisting of a mum and dad then their older offspring who help to raise the younger ones.” 

Asian short-clawed otter pups are the smallest of the thirteen otter species. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list them as Vulnerable to extinction.