Otter gives birth to tiny pups a month early, Cincinnati Zoo staff 'cautiously optimistic'

Yahoo

10-05-2025

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden had a chicken nugget-sized surprise when a litter of otter pups was born earlier than expected.
Munti, an Asian small-clawed otter, gave birth to her first litter roughly a month early, according to the zoo's social media posts. Officials announced the birth May 9, although just a few days earlier, they said the litter wasn't expected for several weeks at least.
Asian small-clawed otters are the smallest otter species in the world and their newborns are about the size of a chicken nugget, officials said.
Officials said in their post that Munti, the pups, and their dad, Flounder, have been tucked into their nest, keeping zoo staff from confirming the exact number of pups.
The otter family is expected to remain out of its habitat for roughly eight weeks so the parents can bond with and care for their pups "behind the scenes," the post states.
"We are currently in a critical three-day window for the pups," the zoo's post reads," but hearing hearty squeaks that sound healthy is a great sign and the care team is cautiously optimistic!"
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Zoo: Otter pups born early, staff 'cautiously optimistic'