Giant Otter triplets born at Yorkshire Wildlife Park

The new arrivals were born on Monday 27th March and are being closely monitored by the expert animal team.

It means YWP, which welcomed triplets only in February 2022, is now the home to nine Giant Otters, the most in a single zoo or wildlife park globally.

Aquatics Team Leader Kelsie Wood said “We are overjoyed at welcoming a second litter of Giant Otters in such a short time.

“Giant otters don’t always breed easily and every birth is a significant and valuable one for the breeding programme.

 “Mum Alexandra is very relaxed this time - you can see she is an experienced mother. She will keep a careful eye on the pups as they start exploring. At the moment, they are mainly staying indoors.

“Meanwhile, Bonita, the eldest sibling, is taking charge of the last litter of triplets born in February last year so that Alex can concentrate on the new cubs. It is a real family effort! We can’t wait to see them all grow up together."

She added: "This second litter, which is the third time Alex has given birth, is testament to our commitment to the conservation of endangered species, and we believe these pups will inspire our visitors to learn more about these incredible animals." 

Hailing primarily from the Amazon basin in South America, Giant Otters were listed as endangered in 1999. Years of poaching, deforestation and gold mining has rapidly decreased the population of this species, with an estimated number of only 5,000 in the wild. They are poached for their waterproof fur and meat.

YWP and the WildLife Foundation charity, which is based at the park, protect giant otters in the wild by supporting conservation projects with the Instituto Araguaia in the Amazon.