Yorkshire Wildlife Park celebrates the surprise arrival of rare Giant Otter triplets

Yorkshire Wildlife Park is celebrating the surprise arrival of rare Giant Otter triplets. The litter is the second to proud parents, Alexandra and Orimar, in the space of under 18 months and is part of the award-winning park’s ongoing conservation programme aimed at the protection of this endangered species.  

The new arrivals were born on Monday 27th March and are being closely monitored by the expert animal team.

It means YWP, which welcomed triplets only in February 2022, is now the home to nine Giant Otters, believed to be the most in a single zoo or wildlife park in Europe.

Aquatics Team Leader Kelsie Wood said “We are overjoyed at welcoming a second litter of Giant Otters in such a short time.

“Giant otters don’t always breed easily and every birth is a significant and valuable one for the breeding programme.

 “Mum Alexandra is very relaxed this time - you can see she is an experienced mother. She will keep a careful eye on the pups as they start exploring. At the moment, they are mainly staying indoors.

“Meanwhile, Bonita, the eldest sibling, is taking charge of the last litter of triplets born in February last year so that Alex can concentrate on the new cubs. It is a real family effort! We can’t wait to see them all grow up together."

She added: "This second litter, which is the third time Alex has given birth, is testament to our commitment to the conservation of endangered species, and we believe these pups will inspire our visitors to learn more about these incredible animals." 

Hailing primarily from the Amazon basin in South America, Giant Otters were listed as endangered in 1999. Years of poaching, deforestation and gold mining has rapidly decreased the population of this species, with an estimated number of only 5,000 in the wild. They are poached for their waterproof fur and meat.

YWP and the WildLife Foundation charity, which is based at the park, protect giant otters in the wild by supporting conservation projects with the Instituto Araguaia in the Amazon.

The park, which is the UK’s No. 1 walkthrough wildlife adventure, is home to more than 400 animals from more than 70 species, many rare and endangered, and is a leading force in global animal conservation.