BUFFALO — A pair of river otter pups born at the Buffalo Zoo have been named Luke and Leia, the zoo announced today.
The pups, one male and one female, were born Feb. 28 to mother, 11-year-old Ellie. The father of the litter is nine-year-old Rascal. This is the second litter of pups born to the otter pair. Their first litter having been born in 2014.
Since their birth two months ago, Ellie has once again demonstrated attentive maternal care, including teaching them to swim in an inside pool adjacent to their den, according to the zoo. They were introduced to their exterior habitat on May 2. Based on positive observations, zoo staff is pleased to report that the public may get a glimpse of the pups in Otter Creek between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. daily, weather-dependent.
Conservation efforts in the 1990’s have brought the North American river otter population to a stable status in the wild, after being on the verge of extinction.
