Otter gives birth to two new pups at the Calgary Zoo

Two North American river otter pups born at the Calgary Zoo on March 11, 2025. (Source: Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo)

The Calgary Zoo has welcomed two new members to its bevy of North American river otters.

In a social media post Thursday, the zoo said its eight-year-old otter Kate gave birth to a litter of two pups on March 11.

This is Kate’s second successful litter with her longtime mate Finnegan.

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“At around two weeks old, the pups are snug in the den, their eyes still closed as they rely entirely on Kate during these early days. As an experienced otter mom, Kate has been doing a great job of caring for the pups,” the zoo said in a Facebook post.

The otters are born blind and their eyes typically open around 28-35 days after birth, according to the zoo. Then between days 35 and 42, they start crawling and exploring.

The sex of the pups has not been confirmed yet, and they also have not been named.

“Our Animal Care, Health and Welfare team is closely monitoring our new arrivals from a distance to ensure Kate and her pups have important time to bond,” the zoo said.

The otters are not available to be seen by visitors just yet, but the zoo said it will share updates on their progress.