Orphaned Otter's On-Point Dance Moves Have the Internet Clearly Impressed
When a tiny baby river otter was found by rescuers, the sole survivor of a dog attack that killed his mother and littermates, it was uncertain what could be done for the poor little thing. River otters learn a lot from their mother in the first year of life, growing, developing, and learning to swim and hunt on their own. Special precautions must be made to ensure that the animal does not become habituated to humans if you hope to rerelease them in the wild.
Not sure if dancing is part of that routine.
It’s been six months since Oz the river otter was taken in by the rescuers at the River Bandit Wildlife Rescue organization in Farmerville, Louisiana. Licensed wildlife rehabilitation Leslie Greene, has been caring for the tiny thing while running the center as she has for eight years, with the help of donations from locals as well as those who enjoy her active social media presence.
And, lately, that social media presence has included several videos of otter pup Oz and his adventures. He’s grown significantly since we last checked in with this adorable baby, and he has certainly been making the most of it.
In this video, he’s dancing along to a bit of music, and we have to say this otter has some serious moves.
River Otter Pups
North American river otters usually give birth to one litter of pups a year, consisting of about three to four pups per litter. Though they often give birth as long as a year after mating, they only gestate their young for around two months. This unusual scenario occurs is due to a biological state called delayed implantation, where a fertilized egg develops only into the extremely early blastocyst stage, then stops developing altogether until environmental conditions (such as seasons and the mother otter’s ability to care for a new litter) are optimal for the egg to implant and begin developing into new baby otters.
This is especially important for otter pups as they remain with their mother for a year while learning all the skill they need to be an adult otter in the wild.
River Otter Pups in Captivity
As late as August, the rescuers were still intending to return Oz here to the wild once he was grown. As licensed rehabilitation experts. They are taking precautions to try to make sure he is not too fond or overly familiar with humans so that he canalize a healthy, happy life in the wilderness with other otters.
Which is supremely difficult. In some videos, you see the otter lounging on his keeper’s lap or running back and forth between her and a toy slide set up in his enclosure. In general, it’s best to limit the pup’s interactions with humans and especially with dogs. This wild animal will have a natural reluctance to approach people and domesticated animals, and you don’t want to train it otherwise.
And if it’s hard for wildlife experts to keep their proper distance from such an adorable pup, the message is clear: do not try this at home.
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