New otters making a splash

Two orphaned otters have found a safe home at the New York State Zoo at Thompson Park.

In June, Annie and Sunny arrived at the zoo and spent six weeks in quarantine before they were introduced to their new home at the zoo's Otter Creek.

"They're on exhibit and getting along fabulously," said zoo Executive Director John Scott Foster.

The new otters, from separate litters and each orphaned in Florida, are 5 months old. Zoo General Curator Susan M. Sabik said otter litters can range from one to six pups, and the larger the litter, the more likely some can get left behind.

Sunny was found lying in an open field in Clearwater, Fla. Both she and Annie were sent to Watertown by Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

Mother otters normally stay with and care for their pups, teaching them how to swim and hunt and the basic life skills they need to survive on their own, Ms. Sabik said. She said finding orphaned otters is not unusual, because the river otter population has been increasing. More otters mean that the water quality in rivers and streams is better and that an abundance of food is available, she said.

Annie and Sunny have been exploring their new habitat. While their presence has disrupted the behavior of resident otters Odessa and Otis, the four are slowly getting accustomed to each other.

"They can see each other from their separate holding areas, but we're taking introducing them to each other very slowly," Ms. Sabik said. "It's kind of like 'The Bachelor'; you don't know who will click with who. Otis is very laid-back for a male otter. We'll take our time over the next few months."

In the meantime, Zookeeper Brenda A. Fisk has been helping Annie and Sunny get acclimated to their surroundings.

"While in quarantine, the two had a trough to swim in, but when they got out into the exhibit they would only stick their heads in the water," said Ms. Fisk, who has been caring for the otters since they arrived.

"Annie eventually went in, but Sunny was still a little nervous. When she was standing on the edge, I took her two little hind legs and flipped her right in. After the second time, she was fine," Ms. Fisk said.

Odessa and Otis get free reign in the habitat in the mornings, but after 1 p.m. visitors can see Annie and Sunny playing and exploring. The new otters are a permanent addition to the zoo, and Mr. Foster said that if baby otters were to appear, a search for good homes wouldn't be a problem.

"We would be happy if sometime in the future one of the female otters looked at our male and said, 'My, he's handsome,'" Mr. Foster said. "We would ultimately like to breed them with the understanding that other zoos would need to take them."