The Virginia Zoo announced this week the birth of three Asian small-clawed otter pups to a fledgling family of the vulnerable species at the zoo’s facilities.

The trio of babies, which are all male, are the first pups to be born at the Norfolk zoo. They were born on Aug. 25.

“Right now the babies are just at the wiggle stage,” Zoo Spokesperson Emily Smicker said. “They’re not doing a whole lot except just for little snuggles with mom and dad.”

Smicker said the pups are being cared for and monitored around the clock by zookeepers and their parents. Their mother, Elbe, and their father, Jilin, joined the zoo with the blessing of an organization called the Asian Small-clawed Otter Species Survival Plan. Both of the parents were born under human care.

Asian small-footed otters are the smallest otter species in the world. Smicker said they contribute significantly to the ecology and balance of the environments they live in, as do other species of otter.

Three Asian small-clawed otter pups snuggle at the Virginia Zoo. (Courtesy/Virginia Zoo)

She said zoo staff expect the pups will be viewable to the public in 3 to 4 months. Depending on the weather, which in Hampton Roads can differ from their native homes in Southeast Asia, the otters may require additional separation.

The otter family is being kept away from a couple of white-cheeked gibbons, with whom they share an enclosure at the zoo’s “Trail of the Tiger” area. The otters are living comfortably, often cuddling in nesting boxes, within the relative solitude of their nighttime quarters behind the main enclosure. Smicker said it is critical for the otter parents to form close bonds with their pups early in their development.

The otter pups will gradually learn how to swim starting at 9 to 12 weeks old. They are born without waterproof coats. Smicker said zookeepers try to minimally interfere with the animals during this development but watch them closely through the process. They will only step in if development milestones are missed. At a little over a month old, the pups have begun opening their eyes.

“We just let nature do nature and let mom and dad take really good care of their babies like they have been,” she said.

Years from now, when the pups are more mature, they will likely be placed by the Asian Small-clawed Otter Species Survival Plan in other zoos, to continue growing the species.

In the meantime, Smicker invites the public to stay tuned to the zoo’s social media for updates on its otter family.

John Buzbee, 757-879-7421, johnbuzbee@virginiamedia.com

https://www.dailypress.com/2025/10/09/virginia-zoo-baby-otters/