Brookfield, Ill. — The two male and four female Asian small-clawed otter pups born at Brookfield Zoo on November 18, 2021, were recently named. They are Otto, Otis, Wishes, Hermione (pronounced Her-My-O-Nee), Sachiko (pronounced SAH-chee-ko), and Olivia.

The six pups are thriving and bonding with their parents, Pearl and Adhi (pronounced AHH-dee), behind the scenes. This past month, the otter-ly playful pups have begun eating a diet of fish and have begun exploring a small pool of water, which animal care specialists were able to capture on video. If the pups continue to demonstrate their proficient swimming abilities, staff anticipate the pups and their parents will be able to have access to their habitat at Tropic World: Asia in early March.

The smallest of the otter species, Asian small-clawed otters are native to Indonesia, southern China, southern India, Southeast Asia, and the Philippines. The species is listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. Population numbers are declining due to several threats, including residential and commercial development, deforestation, the illegal pet trade, pollution, climate change, and poaching.