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Orphaned Male Otter Finds Help, Home At Aquarium

Tribune photo by KATHY MOORE

Katie Jeffrey, a biologist and resident otter expert at the Florida Aquarium, calms a young otter found in Brandon. The staff at the aquarium gave the approximately 3 month-old pup a full workup Wednesday.

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By NEIL JOHNSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 4, 2009

The otter population of the Florida Aquarium increased Tuesday when workers received an orphaned male river otter believed to be 3 months old.

Veterinarians at the aquarium will perform tests today to uncover any health problems and why the little creature has a slight limp, said Tom Wagner, aquarium spokesman.

A resident found the otter in his back yard and took it to a veterinarian in the Brandon area but the aquarium staff doesn't know exactly where the otter was found or what happened to its mother.

"At that age, it should be close to its mother," Wagner said.

The otter, not counting the tail, is thin for its age. A full-grown otter is about the size of a large house cat and weighs eight to 10 pounds.

It is close to the age where it would be weaned from its mother but veterinarians still need to determine if het refuses solid food but accepts milk.

It is unlikely the otter will be released because of its age. It will probably spend significant time with aquarium biologists and may even need hand feeding so it will become imprinted and accustomed to people.

The aquarium usually has six to eight adult otters.

Once the youngster is healthy, it will be gradually introduced to the aquarium's other otters. One of the grown otters will have to teach it how to swim, a task mothers perform in the wild, Wagner said.

It could not be put into the aquarium's otter exhibit until it learns to swim.

North American river otters are not overly social in the wild. The aquarium keeps them in pairs and eventually the orphan will likely be paired with one of the proper gender.

The otter's mother could have become victim of an alligator or dogs or have been hit by a car.

"Car strikes are fairly common," Wagner said.

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