Breeding milestone: After two decades, Delhi zoo welcomes otter pup

New Delhi, Feb 26 (PTI) More than two decades after the species vanished from its enclosures, the National Zoological Park here has witnessed the birth of an otter, with officials welcoming the event as a long-awaited success of conservation breeding in the capital zoo.

The pup was born in January to a pair of smooth-coated otters that were brought to the Delhi zoo from Surat last year under an animal exchange programme, officials said.

This marks the first otter birth at the zoo since 2004, when the last otter housed at the facility died, with the species absent from the capital zoo.

According to an official, the adult otters were sourced from Kamla Nehru Zoological Park, Surat, and were kept under quarantine and close observation after their arrival. During this period, they were not placed on public display as part of protocol to allow the animals to adapt to their new surroundings.

"Soon after they were brought here, the female otter was found to be pregnant. Since then, the pair has been kept under continuous monitoring by our veterinary and animal care teams," the official said, adding that the zoo deliberately delayed putting the animals in the inventory to ensure a stress-free environment during pregnancy and early nurturing.

Another official said the adult otters are around three to four years old. However, the male adult otter had been hospitalised as it was said to be suffering from a health condition.

He said female otters are known to be highly protective during the feeding phase and often do not allow the male to approach while nursing the pups.

"Thus, the male otter did not feed properly for some time and had to be hospitalised," the official said, adding that it is yet to be disclosed whether it has recoved.

However, zoo authorities said the male otter is likely to be put on public display first, possibly by next month, once weather conditions become favourable.

"We are waiting for winter to fully pass, as otters require a suitable climate. The female and the pup will be introduced to the viewing enclosure afterwards," the official said.

He also mentioned that once otters adapt to local conditions, they tend to breed successfully, raising hopes for reviving the zoo's otter population in the future.

The return of otters to Delhi zoo after more than two decades is being seen as a success to its conservation efforts. Their arrival has increased the zoo's total species count to over 96, further enriching the biodiversity on display.

"In 2004, we lost our last otter and since then several attempts to procure the species did not materialise. This successful exchange and now the otter birth is a big step for us," the official said.

Officials further said the latest development underlines the importance of coordinated animal exchange programmes and sustained monitoring in conservation and breeding efforts.

India is home to three of the 13 species of otters found worldwide. These are -- Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra); smooth-coated otter (Lutra perspicillata) and small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus).

The smooth-coated Otter is distributed throughout the country, southward of the Himalayas. But the Eurasian otter and the small-clawed otter are restricted to the Himalayas, to the north of the Ganges and southern India. PTI SHB ARB ARB