Zoo Miami just welcomed 3 of the cutest animals. Just don’t swim with them. Take a look

Devoun Cetoute
·2 min read

We can’t resist those cute river otters. And now, three more have arrived at Zoo Miami.

The attraction welcomed a new litter of the adorable, semi-aquatic animal — the North American River Otter — on Wednesday.

Zinnia, a 7-year-old river otter, gave birth to three pups in the Florida: Mission Everglades exhibit, her third litter. The pups, which don’t have names yet, were determined to be one male and two females after a quick neonatal exam and a delicate shave.

Zoo Miami’s Zinnia, a 7-year-old river otter, gave birth to three pups in the Florida: Mission Everglades exhibit Wednesday.
Zoo Miami’s Zinnia, a 7-year-old river otter, gave birth to three pups in the Florida: Mission Everglades exhibit Wednesday.

Zinnia was pregnant for about two months, and her babies weighed about 6 ounces. The family will remain isolated and behind the scenes for a while so they’re not disturbed by zoo visitors as they bond and grow, according to the zoo.

The 9-year-old father’s name is Edison, and he came to Zoo Miami in October 2016 after being rescued as an orphan and hand-raised by Wild Florida. Zinnia arrived at Zoo Miami in April 2019 from the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island where she was born. Edison has been separated from his children, as is the case in the wild.

Zoo Miami’s Zinnia, a 7-year-old river otter, gave birth to three pups in the Florida: Mission Everglades exhibit Wednesday.
Zoo Miami’s Zinnia, a 7-year-old river otter, gave birth to three pups in the Florida: Mission Everglades exhibit Wednesday.

North American river otters are extremely active and playful animals that can be found in freshwater habitats throughout the U.S. and Canada. They can grow to three to four feet long, including the tail, and usually weigh between 12 and 25 pounds, with the males getting slightly larger than the females. In the wild, they live around 10 years but can live twice that long under human care.

They can stay under water for several minutes and have a thick protective fur to insulate them against cold temperatures. Apart from being agile swimmers, they can run up to 15 mph on land. Though their populations were threatened decades ago, mainly due to trapping for the fur trade, their biggest threats today are habitat loss and pollution.

But don’t try to swim with an otter. Although they’re cute, river otters can be vicious and nasty when confronted by humans.

Latest Stories

  • Grocery worker finds 'mildly venomous' snake in a box of bananas

    An employee at Market Basket in Manchester found the ornate cat-eyed snake inside a shipment. The snake is now being handled by rescue organizations.

  • Trump's musings on 'very large faucet' in Canada part of looming water crisis, say researchers

    Water sharing between Canada and the United States has long been a contentious issue. In 2005, former Alberta premier Peter Lougheed warned against sharing Canada's water supply with the United States, suggesting Alberta's most important resource was water, not oil and gas."We should communicate to the United States very quickly how firm we are about it," Lougheed said.Lougheed's concern didn't emerge in a vacuum. It came in the context of a long history of water-sharing proposals, some more rad

  • Scientists at U.S. weather forecasting agency ordered to get clearance before talking to Canadian counterparts

    Travelling for international meetings or even joining a call with Canadian counterparts has become impossible for some U.S. government scientists, under new directives since U.S. President Donald Trump took office. Canadian ecologist Aaron Fisk says he recently tried to set up a virtual call to discuss plans with American colleagues, including a government scientist, around sampling fish."We tried to have a quick meeting with one of our collaborators … and they were denied access," Fisk said. Gi

  • Fish species thought to be extinct for 85 years rediscovered

    Researchers have rediscovered a rare fish species presumed to be extinct after it was not seen for more than eight decades. The last sighting of the Chel snakehead, or Channa amphibeus, was last recorded from specimens collected between 1918 and 1933 in the Himalayan region of India, leading scientists to believe the species had died out, according to a paper published recently in the journal Zootaxa. The specimens were located on the banks of the Chel River in the town of Kalimpong in West Bengal after researchers caught wind that it was being consumed by a local tribe, the paper states.

  • Look: N.H. store employees find venomous snake in banana shipment

    A conservation officer was called to a New Hampshire grocery store where a shipment of bananas was found to be concealing an "unwanted hitchhiker" -- a venomous snake.

  • 'Holy snow, Batman!': Ontario, Quebec residents dig out after major weekend snowfall

    A winter storm that blanketed much of Ontario and Quebec this weekend has tapered off, but the cleanup will take more than one week in Montreal and up to three weeks in Toronto, officials in both cities said Monday.

  • Montreal's historic snowfall nearly ties this 127-year record

    Heavy snow battered southern Quebec this past weekend, with Montreal racking up an impressive amount in just four days.

  • Nova Scotia government bill would lift ban on fracking, uranium exploration

    HALIFAX — Nova Scotia's government has put forward a bill that would lift blanket bans on uranium exploration and hydraulic fracking of fossil fuels — a move the premier says will make the province more self-reliant in the face of potential U.S. tariffs.

  • Hazardous travel lingers as prolonged snow squalls batter parts of Ontario

    Some Ontario communities could see more than 50 cm of additional snowfall by the time the potent snow squalls finally wind down late-day Tuesday. Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve.

  • Frigid air and snow squalls prolong southern Ontario's wintry blast

    Road closures and whiteouts continue across southern Ontario. Weather alerts have been issued for potentially dangerous travel in squalls, some of which could extend into the GTA. Meteorologist Nadine Powell has the details.

  • Mackenzie highway route 'should be our call', says Pedzéh Kı̨ First Nation

    Pedzéh Kı̨ First Nation Chief Jamie Moses says the N.W.T. government is "sticking to its guns" with a proposed route for an all-weather road from Wrigley to Norman Wells, sidelining community concerns about unstable land and disturbance to moose habitat and archaeological sites.Highway 1 starts at the N.W.T.'s border with Alberta and spans nearly 700 kilometres to Wrigley. The proposed all-season road would extend it by about 300 kilometres from Wrigley to Norman Wells, linking the Sahtu to Cana

  • Orange alligators? South Carolina gators emerge from winter brumation with new look

    Emerging from a cold body of water after brumation, the alligators in South Carolina look like a powdered cheese snack baking in the sun.

  • High winds and rough seas stall bid to salvage ship grounded off western Newfoundland

    The MSC Baltic III remains aground in Cedar Cove, near Lark Harbour, on Tuesday. (Submitted by Susan Keough/Canadian Coast Guard)Rough weather on Tuesday forced salvage specialists to abandon their inspection of a cargo ship that ran aground in a rocky cove along Newfoundland's west coast over the weekend.Bruce English, senior response officer with the Marine Environmental and Hazards section of the Canadian Coast Guard, told CBC News that Texas-based T&T Salvage has been tasked with drafting a

  • Lake-effect snow and strong winds set to hit Toronto through Tuesday

    Strong wind gusts of over 70 km/h and lake-effect snow are expected to impact Toronto through Tuesday afternoon, with an additional 5 to 15 cm of snow in the area. Updates will continue throughout the day as the system moves through the Greater Toronto Area.

  • China is betting big on energy storage as AI drives surge in power demand

    China has unveiled plans to boost its energy storage sector as it strives to shore up its energy security and cope with a surge in power demand from emerging industries such as artificial intelligence. The action plan, which was jointly issued by eight government departments, includes measures to step up the development of a slew of next-generation battery technologies and create a small group of leading companies in the field. The hope is that new energy storage solutions can help China increas

  • Snow Refuses to Let Up in Toronto

    A winter weather travel advisory was in effect for the Toronto area on Monday, February 17, with more snow on the way, Environment Canada warned.Environment Canada said lake-effect snow squalls off Lake Huron were expected to continue into Monday night, bringing additional snow amounts of 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 inches) and winds gusting up to 60 km/h (37 mph).Footage taken by @RachelRSL shows conditions in Toronto on Monday.“It’s still snowing,” she wrote on X.“Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions,” weather officials urged. “If visibility is reduced while driving, turn on your lights and maintain a safe following distance. If you must drive, be prepared for areas of poor visibility.” Credit: @RachelRSL via Storyful

  • Winter weather advisories lifts for parts of GTA as storm cleanup continues

    A winter weather travel advisory has lifted for parts of the Greater Toronto Area on Wednesday morning.Environment Canada put Toronto, Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Markham under a winter weather travel advisory on Tuesday afternoon. The advisory was lifted for Toronto on Tuesday evening. The federal weather agency said these areas could see five more centimetres of snow as well as poor visibility at times due to gusty winds and blowing snow.Newmarket, Georgina and northern York Region as well as O

  • Want to keep more money in your wallet? These items for renters might help

    A package made available by N.B. Power is designed to fill a gap for renters when it comes to saving energy. Lightbulbs, nightlights, water aerators and power bars aim to cut energy consumption in rental units.

  • Heaviest snow expected in Kansas City area Tuesday afternoon

    The heaviest snow is expected to fall throughout the day Tuesday. After that, the snow will be finished, but dangerous, record-breaking wind chills will stick around in Kansas City for several days.

  • Cleanup has only just begun, as Quebec digs out from back-to-back storms

    Quebec is still struggling to recover from record-breaking back-to-back storms, with schools and roads in some parts of the province closed.Schools in Montreal are open despite the abundance of snow and many sidewalks not being cleared.Montreal city spokesperson Philippe Sabourin said Tuesday he expects the snow-clearing operation will take more than the originally planned eight days. He said he expects crews will be able to accomplish 10 per cent of the snow removal per day over the coming days