New River Otter on Exhibit at Oakland Zoo
Oakland, CA (PRWEB) July 17, 2014 -- Wyatt, a North American river otter, has made Oakland Zoo his new home. The four-year otter relocated to Oakland from the Abilene Zoo in Texas, where he was given a breeding recommendation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Zookeepers are thrilled to have a new male otter to pair up with females, Ginger (seven years old) and Rose (two years old). “Oakland Zoo has been very successful at breeding, so we continue to breed to maintain genetics in the captive population,” said Zoological Manager Margaret Rousser. “We are very happy to have Wyatt joining our otter group. We think he will be a great mate, so that we can continue to be one of the leading zoos breeding otters in captivity.” River otters are not considered endangered, but their habitat in the wild is shrinking. Otters are extremely susceptible to environmental pollution, so the absence of otters is an indication that the waterways are unhealthy.
***Media Advisory***
On Thursday, 7/17, from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., Oakland Zoo will be offering the media photo and video opportunities of the new river otter named Wyatt. A zookeeper will also be available for interviews during this time. If you plan on attending, please arriv.e at 1:00 p.m. at the Zoo’s Lower Entrance, next to the green gate in the parking lot. Contact Nicky Mora, Senior Manager, Marketing/PR at (510) 632-9525, ext 130 or e-mail nmora(at)oaklandzoo(dot)org***.
River otters actually spend two-thirds of their time on land, yet eat mostly fish, crayfish, frogs, turtles, and other aquatic invertebrates. At Oakland Zoo, the river otters are very active and playful. They eat 500 grams of fish or meat daily, which is about one pound of food. To keep things exciting, zookeepers use puzzle feeders, pool toys, frozen treats, and enrichment items to keep the otters curious and occupied throughout each day. The otters take naps on and off during daylight hours and have a daily feeding time of 1:15 p.m. Fish is by far their most favorite food. Otters breed in late winter to spring but the embryos only develop to the blastocyst stage and then they stop developing further until about 9-10 months later. Once they start to develop again, gestation is 68-74 days. This type of process is known as delayed implantation. If breeding goes as expected, otter pups may be born at Oakland Zoo in spring of 2016.
About Oakland Zoo:
The Bay Area’s award-winning Oakland Zoo is home to more than 660 native and exotic animals. The Zoo offers many educational programs and kid’s activities perfect for science field trips, family day trips and exciting birthday parties. Oakland Zoo is dedicated to wildlife conservation onsite and worldwide. Nestled in the Oakland Hills, in 500-acre Knowland Park, the Zoo is located at 9777 Golf Links Road, off Highway 580. The East Bay Zoological Society (Oakland Zoo) is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization supported in part by members, contributions, the City of Oakland and the East Bay Regional Parks. For more information please visit our website at http://www.oaklandzoo.org.
July 17, 2014
Contact: Nicky Mora, Senior Manager, Marketing/PR
(510) 632-9525 ext. 130
nmora(at)oaklandzoo(dot)org
Nicky Mora, Senior Manager, Marketing/PR, Oakland Zoo, http://www.oaklandzoo.org, +1 (510) 632-9525 Ext: 130, [email protected]
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