nature

Celebrating Birth Of Endangered Giant Otter Triplets

The playful otter pups are full of fun and are sure to become visitor favourites when they venture out into their reserve in a few weeks time.

Parents Alexandra and Orimar, who were introduced to each other on their arrival in 2019 at the 300-acre park at Auckley, near Doncaster, have been inseparable since and are doting on the pups who were born in early July.

They are part of the European breeding programme and important Ambassadors for their species.

Animal Manager Rick Newton said:
“We’re delighted to have three new additions to the otter family and hopefully it won’t be too long before they learn to swim and we see the new arrivals playing together in their lake.

“It is lovely to have triplet otters born so they will grow up together. Although it’s too early yet to tell the sex of the new triplets, it won’t be long before we can reveal their gender and pick names.”

The triplets have a sister Bonita, the first giant otter cub born at the park on Boxing Day 2020. The species is endangered in its native Amazonian rain forests by deforestation, water pollution and hunting.

Thanks to visitor donations, the Wildlife Foundation, which is based at the park, has been instrumental in establishing projects to protect at-risk giant otter populations in Brazil. Conservation work has helped save giant otters from the brink of extinction in the rain forest, but the species remains under threat.

The Wildlife Foundation will be working closely with Instituto Araguaia in Brazil for the next three years on a sustained project to protect giant otters’ habitat and breeding sites.

The project will continue regular anti-poaching patrols in the giant otters’ habitat as well as create an environmental education centre that will help teach 300 underprivileged school children about conservation.

The project also helps provide essential job training to unemployed young local adults of Caseara who are at risk of engaging in fish poaching.

Wildlife Foundation Trustee Cheryl Williams said:
"We are delighted to support this new three-year project to build on our successes to date.

“It is important we carry on the work to protect otters. Despite all that has been done Giant Otters remain at risk. The Foundation has been able to carry out this work thanks to the generosity of visitors and let’s hope that more people are inspired to support our work when they see the delightful new cubs at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. “

The Foundation is also involved in many conservation and welfare projects around the world.

YWP, which is the UK’s No. 1 wildlife walkthrough adventure and home to 400 animals, offers visitors a mesmerising experience, coming almost face to face with some of the world’s most beautiful and endangered animals, including Polar Bears, Amur Leopards and Tigers, Giraffes, Lions, Lemurs and Black Rhino.