Edinburgh Zoo celebrates birth of six Asian small-clawed otters

Edinburgh Zoo is celebrating the birth of six adorable Asian small-clawed otters after the pack of pups received their first health check.

Expert vets at wildlife conservation charity, The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), confirmed the new arrivals, five males and one female, are all doing well.

They were born on 23 May to parents Barry and Luna and join eight other otters at Edinburgh Zoo. 

At just nine weeks old, the pups are still dependent on mum and are spending most of their time in their underground holts. 

Lucky visitors might be able to see them exploring their enclosure and learning more about their surroundings in the coming weeks.

‘We are delighted to welcome our newest additions, who are already proving to be very feisty,’ said Alison MacLean, carnivore team leader.

‘Barry and Luna arrived at the zoo in 2020 and have previously shown themselves to be very attentive parents. 

‘They can often be seen swimming and diving with their older pups in the stream in their enclosure. 

‘With the addition of the new arrivals, we now have 14 Asian small-clawed otters here at the zoo. 

‘The species live in family groups consisting of a mum and dad then their older offspring who help to raise the younger ones.’

Barry and Luna arrived at Edinburgh Zoo in 2020 and have proven to be fantastic parents, welcoming four litters of pups since.

Asian small-clawed otters are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

They are the smallest species of otter in the world.

Read more on Scottish Field’s Outdoors pages. 

Plus, don’t miss the July issue of Scottish Field magazine.