North American river otters born at Zoo Miami

MIAMI DADE-COUNTY, Fla. – Zoo Miami welcomed three otter pups to the world on Tuesday.

“Zinnia,” a 5-year-old North American river otter gave birth to three pups at Florida: Mission Everglades exhibit at Zoo Miami, according to a news release.

The zoo said this is Zinnia’s second litter of babies.

According to Zoo Miami Communications Director Ron Magill, the pups underwent a quick neonatal exam Wednesday morning to determine their gender, weight and zoo staff conducted a quick overall physical exam to ensure they are getting a healthy start to their new lives.

According to the news release, Zinnia’s pregnancy lasted about two months, and the pups, one female and two males, were born in a secluded den.

Zinnia came to Zoo Miami in April 2019 from the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island where she was born.

The 7-year-old father’s name is Edison, and he arrived at Zoo Miami in October 2016 after being rescued as an orphan and hand-raised by a group called Wild Florida.

“North American river otters are extremely active and playful animals that are found in a variety of fresh water habitats throughout much of the U.S. and Canada. They can grow 3-4 feet long including the tail and usually weigh between 12 and 25 pounds with the males getting slightly larger than the females,” the news release said. “In the wild, they live around 10 years but can live twice that long under human care. In addition to being quick, agile swimmers, they are also capable of running up to 15 mph on land.”