Otter family makes a splash at WWT Slimbridge

A family of four excited otters took their first refreshing dip in their new home at WWT Slimbridge today.

The otters are the first arrivals at the wetland centre’s forthcoming exhibit Back from the Brink, which opens oto the public on 29 July and will give visitors the unique opportunity to see wetland mammals including beavers and water voles up close.

The family of four North American female otters includes mum Flo, her eldest daughter Mo and two nameless young cubs, just 5 months old.

John Crooks, Slimbridge mammal keeper, said: “We just can’t agree on two names for the babies so we have been calling them ‘the cubs’. Hopefully our visitors can come up with some good names and help us decide! Otters are incredibly lively and engaging wetland mammals so they really will bring some excitement to Slimbridge this summer. We hope they settle in well and enjoy meeting their adoring public!”

The otter pool and viewing gallery will be open to the public on Wednesday 29 July and staff at WWT hope that visitors will suggest some appropriate names for the young cubs before the official opening of the Back from the Brink on Tuesday 28 July. Suggestions for both names along with the entrants name, address and telephone number should be sent to name.otters@wwt.org.uk and the winner will be invited to the official opening to meet the otters, beavers and other wetland mammals.

WWT has carefully recreated the historic landscape of the River Severn for Back from the Brink. Visitors will meet many of the mammals that were once abundant in our wetlands. The otter pool has a viewing gallery so visitors can see them frolicking. The smaller mammals such as water shrews, harvest mice and water voles will have special areas so visitors can see them up close. And the beaver lodge is recorded on CCTV so visitors can see all their activities throughout the day. Visitors can also relax around the fire pit at the Mesolithic camp where they’ll hear stories and learn all about the history and wildlife of the Severn. .

Veronica Morriss, senior operations manager at WWT Slimbridge, said: “Back from the Brink will be a great day out for families; to meet our otters, see the evidence of our busy beavers and take part in wide range of new events. By bringing visitors closer to our most charismatic and popular wetland mammals, WWT Slimbridge hopes to get people thinking about important conservation issues such as wetland habitat loss, species decline and extinction and the potential re-introduction of once native species to the British landscape.”

Explore Gloucestershire
14 July 2009

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