BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — The Maryland Zoo has a new animal to care for.
A 40-day-old American river otter pup came to the zoo after being found stranded on the shores of the river in Elk Neck State Park.
Park officials say they waited and watched for signs of its mother but, when she didn't return they contacted a local animal rehabilitation facility before the decision was made to bring the pup to the zoo for care.
“Otters that young are very vulnerable without their mother,” said Erin Cantwell, Grimm Mammal Curator at the Maryland Zoo. “They need to eat every few hours, so our hospital staff has been working around the clock. Pups learn all their life skills from their mother so it’s up to us to teach them things an otter should know, like how to hunt, what’s safe to eat and, believe it or not, not to be afraid of the water at first.”
The otter is living in the quarantine area of the animal hospital at the zoo until it has received its initial vaccinations, passes its health examinations and becomes a more experienced swimmer.
Recued otter pup recovering at Maryland Zoo
Maryland Zoo is working with the Species Survival Plan (SSP) coordinated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to identify the best future home for the otter.
“The pup was quite young when it was found without its mother so it would not have been able to survive on its own in the wild. So, we have to take over and make sure it has all the tools she’ll need to thrive into adulthood,” Grimm said.
The Zoo says it will post weekly “pupdates” about the otter on its social media channels.
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