NEW DELHI: More than two decades after otters vanished from Delhi’s National Zoological Park, a smooth-coated otter was born in January to a pair brought to the zoo from Surat last year as part of an animal exchange programme. Officials have hailed it as success of conservation breeding.
Notably, this marks the first otter birth at the zoo since 2004, when the last otter housed at the facility died.
A zoo official revealed that the adult otters were sourced from Surat’s Kamla Nehru Zoological Park and were kept under quarantine and close observation after their arrival. During this time, they were not placed on public display as part of protocol to allow the animals to adapt to their new surroundings.
“Soon after they were brought here, the female otter was found to be pregnant. Since then, the pair have been kept under continuous monitoring by our veterinary and animal care teams,” the official further said while adding that the zoo intentionally delayed putting the animals in the inventory to ensure a stress-free environment during pregnancy and early nurturing.
According to another official privy to the matter, the adult otters are around three to four years old. However, the male adult otter had to be hospitalised as it was said to be suffering from a health condition.
He also mentioned that female otters are known to be highly protective during the feeding phase and often do not allow the male to approach while nursing the pups.
“Thus, the male otter did not feed properly for some time and had to be hospitalised,” the official explained.
“We are waiting for winter to fully pass, as otters require a suitable climate. The female and the pup will be introduced to the viewing enclosure afterwards,” the official added.
The return of otters to the Delhi zoo after more than two decades is being seen as success of its conservation efforts. Their arrival has increased the zoo’s total species count to over 96, further enriching the biodiversity on display.