Ever seen otters when it’s feeding time? Well, today’s your lucky day!
Asian small-clawed otters at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia enjoyed a little thing the zookeepers like to call ‘Fishicle Fridays’, and here’s a glimpse of what went down…
Advertisement
{^media|(width)600|(height)500|(ext).mp4|(url)https://media2.fishtank.my/media/mix/asset/media/fishicle-fridays-at-taronga-zoo_otters.mp4^}
As you can see, the otters are enticed by the fishy smells, even taking the fishicles for a spin underwater, and using their dextrous claws to pry at the fish.
Otters are opportunistic eaters in the wild, so zookeepers at Taronga like to replicate that natural variation with a variety of different food sources, as well as providing new ways for the otters to receive their food.
Fishicles are just one of the special treats provided by the otters by their keepers, as part of a 30-day enrichment schedule that allows them to hone natural behaviours.
For your information, Asian small-clawed otters are the smallest species of the 13 species of otter.
Sadly, they are classified as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, with wild populations heavily impacted by the illegal pet trade as well as habitat loss.
We can’t stop watching this video!
by Kyle Roshen Jacob
