It’s been over two months now since Kalila, our precious Cape clawless otter pup suddenly passed away (see previous blog, In Memory of Our Otter Pup). Many tests were run to try to determine the cause of her death, and none were very conclusive. She did have a systemic infection despite having been on antibiotics, and she was also still very anemic. The cause of both issues is unknown, and perhaps we will never really know. It is sad, but true, that sometimes animals just don’t thrive even with our best efforts to keep them safe and healthy. In the case of lil’ Kalila, she may have been born compromised and that contributed to her passing. I can say with great assurance, though, that the short five months of Kalila’s life were nurtured ones as her mom, Sweet Otter, proved to be a protective, attentive, and playful mother!

So you may be wondering how Kalila’s parents Sweet Otter and Herman are doing back in their home on Bear Canyon. In the first few weeks being together, I was able to witness an amazing bonding activity between the pair. One afternoon, Sweet Otter was playing around with two of her balls. She was casually swatting at one ball while pushing the larger ball around the pool. Herman heard all the commotion and decided to investigate. When he approached Sweet Otter, they briefly touched faces, and then they clasped their hands together and started twirling in the water. Then they would let go, swim around together for a bit, play with the balls, and then come back to holding hands and twirling. It was so beautiful, like watching a synchronized swimming event. A few of my fellow keepers have also been witnesses to similar occurrences throughout the weeks, so this is something that may be happening often.

As keepers, we try to do our best to give the animals activities and to challenge their minds. Obviously the otters love their balls, but their little clawless fingers are always getting into things and need to be kept busy. In the wild, the clawless otters use their sensitive fingertips to seek out food such as crabs, frogs, and fish that may be hiding in small crevices. We’ve made several types of feeder toys that give the otters an opportunity to probe and manipulate the objects to obtain the food. This makes feeding time last longer and encourages their natural foraging behavior. Recently, we added a spinning tire toy to the choices, and Sweet Otter spent a good amount of time trying to get the fish out of it when it was first presented to her. After watching her push and pull, grab and spin, Sweet Otter finally retrieved the fish, to the delight of a cheering crowd who had been watching with eager anticipation! We also spread the feedings out several times a day and do food hunts and tosses in addition to the feeder toys to keep the otters stimulated.

Not only do food activities keep the otters busy: they also love to chew and shred things. For example, Herman especially loves the hard outer husks of palm trees. He takes this three- to four-foot-long husk and slaps it over and over again against the sides of the exhibit until it breaks. The otters then rip it into long shreds that often end up in their bedding the next morning. Palm fronds, cardboard boxes, all kinds of branches, and hay are just some of the other items we offer to the otters for them to destroy and make beds with. What could be more fun?

So to answer the question on how Sweet Otter and Herman are doing since returning to Bear Canyon, I would have to say that they are doing very well. They are active, playful, and appear to enjoy each other’s company. There have been many inquiries as to whether or not Sweet Otter and Herman will produce any more offspring. The decision at this time is to not breed the Cape clawless otters and Sweet Otter has been implanted to prevent a future pregnancy. For now, we have the adorable and interesting antics of Sweet Otter and Herman to observe. Come visit them on Bear Canyon, as they are sure to entertain!

Hali Anderson is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

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