Working in a Zoo I get asked almost on a daily basis, “where are the otters?”. It seems like everyone wants to sneak a peek of these fun animals! But why does everyone love otters?
Otter viewers at the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, NY. Photo by Kelli O'Brien
Well, these amazing animals are extremely charismatic, playful, and fun to watch, which is part of the reason why they are often seen in Zoos! (Though there are 13 species found world-wide, there are five species of otter most commonly found in Zoos, more information about these animals can be found at http://www.otterspotter.com) Zoo visitors love to get a glimpse of the otters swimming, wrestling, or working with their trainer.
However, in addition to being adorable, otters are also an important part of the wetland habitats they live in. As carnivores, North American river otters play an important role in the food web, are very sensitive to pollution, and effected by changes in the fish populations. Due to these factors, otters are often considered “indicator” species to the overall health of the environment (meaning the health of the otter populations can give us an “indication” of the overall health of the habitat).
As you can see we love otters not only because they are cute but because otters are very important to our wetlands and waterways. Keep an eye on future blog posts to learn more about what Zoos and wildlife researchers are doing to learn more about otters!
And of course, stay tuned for cute otter stuff too because we know you really love otters because of photos like this!
(Admiral the North American river otter chilling out at the Seneca Park Zoo, Rochester, NY.)
Why do you love otters?
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