Yorkshire Wildlife Park celebrates surprise birth of rare Giant Otter triplets

The litter is the second to proud parents, Alexandra and Orimar, in the space of under 18 months and is part of the park’s ongoing conservation programme aimed at the protection of this endangered species.

The triplets were born on Monday, March 27, 2023, and it means Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which welcomed triplets in February 2022, is now home to nine Giant Otters, believed to be the most in a single zoo or wildlife park in Europe.

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.

“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.”

Originally from the Amazon basin in South America, Giant Otters were listed as endangered in 1999 and 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. Yorkshire Wildlife Park and the WildLife Foundation charity, based at the park, protect giant otters in the wild by supporting conservation projects with the Instituto Araguaia in the Amazon.