Kansas City Zoo welcomes three otter babies: “OTTERly amazing”
The Kansas City Zoo has a new trio of pups.
“We have some OTTERly amazing news to share!” annouced a zoo social media post.
On March 3, North American river otter Ursula gave birth to three female pups. In their first six weeks, the still-unnamed babies opened their eyes and learned to crawl, according the post.
Ursula has taken her daughters in shallow water for baths and the pups will soon learn to swim. Once they master navigating underwater, the pups will be put on display near the entrance of the zoo.
The otters’ parents are 8-year-old Ursula and Skokie, who died last June at age 15.
The pups have siblings named Flotsam and Jetsam, born in 2023, but the pair were moved to other zoos to increase genetic diversity.
While the otters’ names have not been announced, Facebook commenters gave ideas.
Some suggested naming them after famous otter fan Travis Kelce , who discussed his love for baby otter videos on the New Heights podcast with Taylor Swift. Names from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” would keep with the family theme, some said. Other commenters suggested naming the pups for famous female trios like the PowerPuff Girls or the girls from “Despicable Me.”
The North American river otter is one of only two native otter species in the country, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
The river otter’s thick and glossy fur is valuable, and a century ago, the otters were almost extinct in Missouri. As part of conservation efforts in the 1980s and 90s, more than 800 otters were released in Missouri and waterways were conserved. The otters are now found in streams, ponds and rivers across Missouri.
