Animals
Dwarf otter offspring in Neumünster Zoo
The dwarf otter couple Jacky and Emil with their offspring in the Neumünster Zoo. photo
© Verena Kaspari/Tierpark Neumünster/dpa
For the first time in six years, Neumünster Zoo has its own offspring of dwarf otters. The parents are correspondingly vigilant and nervous. This means for visitors: be patient.
The dwarf otter couple Jacky and Emil des Neumünster Zoo has had offspring. Five Asian dwarf otters were born in March and there has been a lot of cuddling since then, as the zoo in Neumünster, Schleswig-Holstein, announced. The five newcomers are the first dwarf otter offspring in Neumünster since 2018.
Because the zoo participates in the European Zoo Association’s European Conservation Breeding Program, the team is very happy about this great breeding success. The animals, also known as short-clawed otters, are said to be on the Red List of Endangered Species. They are considered endangered because their habitat is being massively destroyed in their natural distribution area.
With a bit of luck, visitors to the zoo can catch a glimpse of the cuddly family. The parents of the five otter offspring are very vigilant and “still watch over their babies very nervously from time to time.” It is therefore possible that the otter pavilion will be temporarily closed to protect the animals so that the seven animals get enough rest.