Rowdy Otters Demand Lunch

Our a recent to the Zoo on a sunny January day this summer, we managed to catch up on an special moment that caught a lot of people by surprise. Otters having lunch! I managed some entertaining shots and a very rowdy otter video clip you will love.

Asian Small-Clawed Otter are highly social animals, and brothers Eko, Si, Bhutan and Jambi are no exception. They’re a tight-knit group and do almost everything together – including eating, playing, swimming, and napping in a pile in the sun or on their heated rock.

Wellington Zoo

Otters love fish! So fish was on definitely the menu as a crowd gathered for one of the scheduled feeding times. What none of the crow expected was the explosion of noise from the otters when their favourite Keeper arrived with a large bucket of fish. Listen to this short snippet!

“>If you can’t play the video watch it here on Vimeo.

Are you as surprised as me at the determined very loud shouts from the otters? The keeper told us some fascinating details about the otters but, the moment they saw her, the noisy demands began, and the Keeper had to raise her (amplified by a little speaker) voice a bit more.

First, the four Otters came close to the glass wall of their habitat and clamoured for fish, then they scampered further back on to a rockery nearer the water pool. We wondered why they had moved back in such a hurry until the keeper told us something amazing…

Otters Wash Their Fish?

Yes, as the Keeper pointed out to the crowd, each Otter caught its chunk of fish, then rushed to the water’s edge with the fish firmly gripped in its paws. Here they gave it a good wash before settling down in the sun to enjoy their meal.

• Did You Know? Otters have a very high metabolic rate so need to be fed seven times a day!

Here you can see here, I captured an Otter mid-catch before it ran at top speed to the poolside. I was so excited I got this shot, I almost don’t mind the slightly fuzzy shot below where the otter mistimes his catch. This chunk ended up with another lucky family member but I love the drama of the ‘Oooooh….’ missed catch.

Believe me, no fish was ignored for more than a second and the otters moved so fast!

Asian Small-Clawed Otters are found in the freshwater rivers, swamps and wetlands of Southern and Southeastern Asia. Habitat loss is the biggest threat they face in the wild. You can help protect their native habitats by purchasing sustainable timber and paper products marked with the FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) logo.

Wellington Zoo

Otter Environment

I realised, as I posted the photos for you, that all of them are quite close up, so I am adding a more general capture of the Otter habitat which is spacious for the boys with plenty of hiding holes, deep water and rocks to bask in the sun. They are definitely enjoying New Zealand’s summer.

Have you seen Otters either in the Zoo or in the wild?