Jersey Zoo ‘otter-ly’ excited to welcome new arrivals
Friday 1 August
Jersey Zoo have welcomed two new arrivals this week; giant otters Alexandra and Fia. The mother and daughter duo have arrived from Yorkshire Wildlife Park where they have been living for the past few years with their family.
Found in South America, giant otters are the largest species of otter and the largest member of the mustelid family, which includes weasels, mink and badgers. With thick fur to keep their skin warm and dry, webbed feet, and a long, powerful tail, giant otters are speedy swimmers and well evolved for life in the water.
Alexandra and Fia have already settled into their new home at the zoo’s South American House, which is shared with giant anteater Zena. Guests to the zoo will find it hard to miss them as they are very chatty, sociable animals and enjoy splashing around in the water.
Classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, giant otters are under threat from habitat loss due to logging and damming of rivers for electricity, a lack of prey due to overfishing and water pollution from mining and farming. They are also being hunted illegally for their fur and meat.
Talking about their arrival at the zoo, Ben Matthews, Curator of Mammals commented: “It’s always exciting when we get a new species at the zoo, especially when it’s an animal as charismatic as a giant otter. The team at the zoo over the past few months have been working hard to adapt their enclosure ahead of their arrival and it’s great to see how quickly they have both settled in. The team are looking forward to sharing more with members and guests over the coming weeks and months about these fascinating creatures and our wider work as a Trust in South America.”
To mark their arrival, the zoo is hosting a Giant Otter Celebration Weekend on 9 and 10 August. During the weekend there will be additional talks and feeds from the zoo’s expert keepers, as well as face painting and other activities for guests to enjoy. Entry for this weekend is free for members; normal admission fees apply for non-members.
It is with thanks to a generous donation from some close supporters of Durrell, that the team at Jersey Zoo have been able to undertake the work needed ahead of the giant otters’ arrival.