The Wildlife Conservation Society says the North American river otters were born in February. The proud parents are mom Dixie and dad Oogie.
The pups are the first North American river otters born in a New York City zoo or aquarium since 1956.
North American river otters are members of the weasel family. They are found near lakes, rivers and coastal areas of Canada, the Great Lakes, New England, and Atlantic and Gulf Coast regions of the United States.
Otter populations declined in the early 1900s due to fur trapping, water pollution and habitat destruction.
Conservation practices have helped to restore otter populations in some areas.
---
Online: ProspectParkZoo.com
---
