Latest news with #WildFlorida
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Zoo Miami just welcomed 3 of the cutest animals. Just don't swim with them. Take a look
We can't resist those cute river otters. And now, three more have arrived at Zoo Miami. The attraction welcomed a new litter of the adorable, semi-aquatic animal — the North American River Otter — on Wednesday. Zinnia, a 7-year-old river otter, gave birth to three pups in the Florida: Mission Everglades exhibit, her third litter. The pups, which don't have names yet, were determined to be one male and two females after a quick neonatal exam and a delicate shave. Zinnia was pregnant for about two months, and her babies weighed about 6 ounces. The family will remain isolated and behind the scenes for a while so they're not disturbed by zoo visitors as they bond and grow, according to the zoo. The 9-year-old father's name is Edison, and he came to Zoo Miami in October 2016 after being rescued as an orphan and hand-raised by Wild Florida. Zinnia arrived at Zoo Miami in April 2019 from the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island where she was born. Edison has been separated from his children, as is the case in the wild. North American river otters are extremely active and playful animals that can be found in freshwater habitats throughout the U.S. and Canada. They can grow to three to four feet long, including the tail, and usually weigh between 12 and 25 pounds, with the males getting slightly larger than the females. In the wild, they live around 10 years but can live twice that long under human care. They can stay under water for several minutes and have a thick protective fur to insulate them against cold temperatures. Apart from being agile swimmers, they can run up to 15 mph on land. Though their populations were threatened decades ago, mainly due to trapping for the fur trade, their biggest threats today are habitat loss and pollution. But don't try to swim with an otter. Although they're cute, river otters can be vicious and nasty when confronted by humans.
Miami Herald
15-02-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Zoo Miami just welcomed 3 of the cutest animals. Just don't swim with them. Take a look
We can't resist those cute river otters. And now, three more have arrived at Zoo Miami. The attraction welcomed a new litter of the adorable, semi-aquatic animal — the North American River Otter — on Wednesday. Zinnia, a 7-year-old river otter, gave birth to three pups in the Florida: Mission Everglades exhibit, her third litter. The pups, which don't have names yet, were determined to be one male and two females after a quick neonatal exam and a delicate shave. Zinnia was pregnant for about two months, and her babies weighed about 6 ounces. The family will remain isolated and behind the scenes for a while so they're not disturbed by zoo visitors as they bond and grow, according to the zoo. The 9-year-old father's name is Edison, and he came to Zoo Miami in October 2016 after being rescued as an orphan and hand-raised by Wild Florida. Zinnia arrived at Zoo Miami in April 2019 from the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island where she was born. Edison has been separated from his children, as is the case in the wild. North American river otters are extremely active and playful animals that can be found in freshwater habitats throughout the U.S. and Canada. They can grow to three to four feet long, including the tail, and usually weigh between 12 and 25 pounds, with the males getting slightly larger than the females. In the wild, they live around 10 years but can live twice that long under human care. They can stay under water for several minutes and have a thick protective fur to insulate them against cold temperatures. Apart from being agile swimmers, they can run up to 15 mph on land. Though their populations were threatened decades ago, mainly due to trapping for the fur trade, their biggest threats today are habitat loss and pollution. But don't try to swim with an otter. Although they're cute, river otters can be vicious and nasty when confronted by humans.
CBS News
14-02-2025
- Science
- CBS News
Zoo Miami welcomes trio of river otter pups
MIAMI - Three North American river otter pups have been born at Zoo Miami's Florida: Mission Everglades exhibit. Seven-year-old Zinnia gave birth to the litter Wednesday, February 12, the zoo announced. Animal care staff conducted a neonatal exam this morning, determining the pups' genders as one male and two females. All three appear healthy, the zoo said. The pups weigh between 164 and 168 grams. This is Zinnia's third litter. Zinnia and her pups are currently secluded in a den behind the scenes to allow them to bond and grow undisturbed. Nine-year-old Edison, the father, is separated from the family as males do not participate in raising pups in the wild. Zinnia arrived at Zoo Miami in 2019 from the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island. Edison came to the zoo in 2016 after being rescued as an orphan and hand-raised by Wild Florida. North American river otters are playful animals found in freshwater habitats across the U.S. and Canada. They can grow to 3-4 feet long, including the tail and weigh 12-25 pounds. They eat fish, frogs, crustaceans, eggs, reptiles, birds and small mammals. They are well adapted for semi-aquatic life with webbed feet, a powerful tail and thick fur. While their populations rebounded after being threatened by trapping, habitat loss and pollution remain concerns.
