Potter Park Zoo celebrates newborn otter triplets
LANSING — Three newborn North American river otters are the newest addition to Potter Park Zoo.
This is mom Nkeke's fourth litter and second set of triplets.
"Three is kind of new to us because we only did it one other time and I was kind of hoping that was like a fluke," said Carolyn Schulte, a Potter Park zookeeper. "But I guess (Nkeke) has other ideas."
Nkeke is almost ten years old, and her and her breeding partner Miles have had ten pups together. They were selected for the Species Survival Plan, which is a program from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The goal of this program is to ensure "a genetically diverse, demographically varied, and biologically sound population."
The pups won't be able to meet their dad, Miles, until they're about 12 weeks old. This is typical for baby otters, because the dad doesn't have any role in caring for them.
"The mom does everything for them," Schulte said. "She's their food source. She keeps them warm until they can self-regulate. She hunts for them until they can hunt for themselves."
Schulte said that they also won't be swimming in the main exhibit until about 12 weeks, when they're more confident swimmers.
"Dad is excited to see the pups, meet them, play with them," Schulte said. "We would be concerned that maybe they would play too rough and get exhausted in the water, and potentially breathe some in."
Right now, the otter pups are with their mother in a monitoring area separate from the main otter exhibit. Director of Animal Health Dr. Ronan Eustace acknowledges the challenges associated with raising triplets in a blog post from the zoo.
“Triplets can be demanding for otter mothers,” Eustace said in the post. “We’re cautiously optimistic that Nkeke will be able to care for all three without the need for veterinary intervention.”
The pups should be in the main exhibit by early May, Schulte said. An upcoming naming contest will be held to choose their names.
Contact Sarah Atwood at satwood@lsj.com, or follow her on X @sarahmatwood
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Potter Park Zoo celebrates newborn otter triplets
