KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Two male river otters moved into their new home at Zoo Knoxville on Wednesday. Officials with the zoo said Pascal and Clayton are settling in after their quarantine period and their time at the clinic.
"The first otter to arrive was Clayton, and he was orphaned in northern Oregon and taken to the Oregon Zoo," said Brock Patton, who works at the Zoo Knoxville clinic. "He spent some time there recovering before they placed him here at Zoo Knoxville."
Pascal was born in Brookfield Zoo, but officials said his mother has had problems producing milk. So, he was hand-reared by trained zookeepers, similarly to Clayton.
Pascal is a couple of months older than Clayton, and officials said he has a more domineering personality. However, both otters are extremely playful, officials said.
"These two new otters are quite young," said Melissa McGee, the zoo's curator of east mammals and great apes. "Pascal just turned a year old, and Clayton is estimated to be either 8 or 9 months old."
She also said they have spent a lot of time exploring their new environments, learning more about the area they will be living in. The habitat will be new for visitors, and the zoo is preparing to open it.
For the time being, the otters will stay in their building while the final touches are finished on the new otter exhibit. Then, the zoo will gradually introduce them to the exhibit so they can enjoy more space to roam and play.
"Otters are really cute," said Patton. "You can really help but love them when you see them."