Otter pups set for first swim in public habitat at NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher

FORT FISHER, N.C. (WECT) - Three Asian small-clawed otter pups at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher are set to enter the public habitat pool for the first time Wednesday, March 11.

The event, called “Otters on the Edge,” begins at 9 a.m. on Wednesday and is open to the public as part of a standard aquarium visit.

The pups, named Nyx, Baloo and Bodhi, are three months old and have met the developmental milestones required for the transition, including swimming, climbing and eating solid foods, according to aquarium officials.

“The pups are doing very well and are ready to navigate the public habitat, which includes a pool,” lead otter keeper Kristen Upton said in the release. “We give them a choice, along with their parents, to explore the larger area and the water.”

Officials say the pups carry genetics significant to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan for Asian small-clawed otters. Their grandparents, Si and Fun, were born in the wild and confiscated by the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department in 2018 before being transferred to Ocean Park Hong Kong.

Their mother, Milli, was born at Ocean Park and arrived at the Fort Fisher aquarium in January 2024. Their father, Binx, arrived in fall 2024 from another AZA facility.

Aquarium staff said the pups represent new genetics introduced into the Species Survival Plan population, supporting genetic diversity in the managed species program.

Tickets are required for entry and are available online.