Wildlife park celebrates birth of rare otter triplets

WASHINGTON (TND) — Three times the cuteness!

Yorkshire Wildlife Park announced "the surprise arrival" of rare giant otter triplets.

The otter pups were born on March 27 and have been under the care of the establishment's expert animal team.

The litter is the second to proud parents, Alexandra and Orimar, in the space of under 18 months and is part of the award-winning park’s ongoing conservation programme aimed at the protection of this endangered species," Yorkshire Wildlife Park noted in a news release.

The wildlife conservation and rehabilitation center, which is also open to the public and located in England, is now home to nine giant otters. That's the most giant otters in a single zoo or wildlife park globally, according to the release.

It's Yorkshire Wildlife Park's second set of triplets, as the park also welcomed triplets in February 2022.

We are overjoyed at welcoming a second litter of Giant Otters in such a short time," Aquatics Team Leader Kelsie Wood noted in the release. “Giant otters don’t always breed easily and every birth is a significant and valuable one for the breeding programme."

For now, the otter pups are "mainly staying indoors" as their mother keeps "a careful eye on them."

Meanwhile, Bonita, the eldest sibling, is taking charge of the last litter of triplets born in February last year so that Alex can concentrate on the new cubs," Wood said. "It is a real family effort! We can’t wait to see them all grow up together."

Wood added that the otter pups are a "testament to our commitment to the conservation of endangered species, and we believe these pups will inspire our visitors to learn more about these incredible animals."

Giant otters, according to the release, were listed as endangered in 1999.

"Years of poaching, deforestation and gold mining has rapidly decreased the population of this species, with an estimated number of only 5,000 in the wild. They are poached for their waterproof fur and meat."

Learn more at yorkshirewildlifepark.com.