Posts tagged "otters"

What with TV, video games, and the Internet demanding so much attention, it's hard to get today's kids off their duffs and outside for some exercise. That's not saying anything you parents out there don't already know. But here's something you might not know: there is a definite solution to this problem. All you need to do is install an industrial-sized aquatic tank (preferably outdoors, most likely in the backyard unless your neighborhood association's bylaws are particularly flexible), make its environment suitable for habitation by otters (plants, branches, rock formations; consult your local library), and then put some otters in there. Why would anyone want to play "L.A. Noire" when they can play with an otter?

It's Monday. You're sluggish. Work is a drag and there's only so many times your can refresh Facebook in a minute. Even that bit of baby-animal super-cuteness we shared with you this morning didn't perk you up as much as it usually would have.

So we're doubling your dose of adorbz with a little help from our friends at Daily Squee. Check out this baby otter photo and try not to smile through the rest of your afternoon. We dare you.

An otter playing with rocks? Sounds dangerous.

Good thing it isn't. Good thing it's actually adooooorable. How precious is this furry friend as he juggles pebbles between his cute little paws?

At the Longleat House and Safari Park in the UK, Beverley Allen is teaching two tiny otters how to swim. The pair, named Sumalee and Kasem, are being given swimming lessons in a baby pool in preparation to be returned to their Mom Mum and Dad.

Allen took over hand raising the otters because their mother was too old to produce milk for them. According to the Longleat House website, "the cuddly creatures live in her spare room, scamper round the house after her and even sit on her lap while she watches television." Initially she had to bottle feed them every two hours so having them in her home at night made that possible.

Says Allen about the cuddly cuties, "I started off putting them in the sink with a little bit of water when they were about nine weeks old. Then they progressed to my bath, where I could make the water a bit deeper to let them practice their breathing. Now they're splashing around quite happily in a paddling pool, with a few toys to encourage them to play."

"We're beginning to introduce them to their mum and dad gradually," says Allen, "letting them get used to the smell and sounds, so it won't be long now until they're with them permanently."

In the meantime, we could watch this video all day long. And we just might.

You thought you were having a great day? Check out this funny animal video featuring happy otters bouncing up and down at the Chester Zoo in the U.K. Squealing with delight, these guys sure are happy to see something -- or someone -- over that fence.

We may not be aware of what's behind the festivities, but this sure does call for a celebration! So grab the nearest otter and start a dance party! (And click here for yet another funny otter video!)


More Funny Animal Videos

Children can be so fickle when it comes to toys. But pets and animals are our bread and butter, so when it comes to pleasing a baby with a toy, we don't even know where to start.

Show us an otter, on the other hand, and we'll show you a rock. A rock that can, indeed, keep an otter happy all day as he basks in the sun, juggling and grappling the thing like it's the best thing he's ever seen.

The video, needless to say, is kind of the best thing we've ever seen. Or at the least the best otter video we've ever seen. Sound the cute alarm!

What's cuter than a baby otter? Many baby otters. What's cuter than many baby otters? Many baby otters who love each other and are getting all snuggly. So thank goodness our compadres at Daily Squee unearthed this adorable pic.


More Daily Squee

A pair of (ridiculously adorable) Asian small-clawed otter pups were born April 30 at the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo in Gainesville, Florida, but, according to The Gainesville Sun, only recently have the otters been named. Ladies and gentlemen, please meet Webster and Asia.

Initially, the brother-sister duo wasn't named because the staff wasn't able to determine the gender (it's a little more complex with otters than with humans, you know). Once the staff knew they were dealing with a boy and a girl, they turned to the public for suggestions and met with an enormous response -- over 1,000 suggestions were submitted through the zoo and The Gainesville Sun.

Many of names, like "Scratch" and "Sniff," only made sense if the pair remained together, reports The Gainesville Sun. But because it's not certain the pups will always live in the same place, it was important to choose names that would work alone. The choices were narrowed to three options for each otter, and then the final selection was made by a staff vote.

Webster was submitted by Greir Young, a retired University of Florida professor familiar with otters, as a nod to the otters' webbed feet. And Jackie Class submitted the choices Asia and Minor as a play on the western Asian region's name.

The names (and incredibly cute otter pups) may be garnering national attention, but Jonathan Miot, assistant director of the teaching zoo, says the zoo staff has yet to use the new names for the baby otters.

Daily walks aren't just for dogs.

Every afternoon, Elizabeth Oxnard takes her dogs (along with her neighbor's pup) for a walk along the Sapelo River in Savannah, Georgia. Recently, though, Oxnard realized that someone else had joined the gang.

While Ootie trots along on four legs just like his pals, there is one small factor that makes him stand out from the crowd: he's a river otter, an animal usually known to butt heads (among other parts) with the canine crowd.

Around these parts, though, it looks like dog's worst enemy is actually a new best friend.

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Oh, Dua, you are the best reason to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The small-clawed Asian otter is already top-notch adorbz, but, better yet, he plays the keyboard in order to extend his feeding time.

He's not about to sell out a grand concert hall, but we'd pay full price to see this cutie tickling those keys.



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Our mom once told us that if it were legal to keep otters as pets, she would gladly give up her bathtub to serve as a faux "river" for her wet would-be friend. Alas, otter domestication is prohibited, so she'll have to settle for staring at pictures of these painfully cute creatures.

Enter the Daily Otter! Yes, the people who brought you the Daily Bunny have -- thankfully! -- dipped their toes into the oeuvre of otters. Whether you like 'em snuggling in the snow, lounging in a lake, or showing some of their characteristic affection, the Daily Otter's got you semi-aquatically covered.

Now you can finally unloop that video of otters holding hands.

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Sea otters Nyack and Milo sure look like they're in love. Check out this video.

Some say otters hold hands as survival to keep from drifting apart in wild waters but others insist these two are an item.

The video was actually filmed in Canada more than five years ago but continues to circle the web as a classic clip. Nyack's no stranger to TV cameras... she's a bit of a celebrity. She first made headlines after surviving the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska back in '89.

Looks like true love to us. What do you think?

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