Watch: Trio of Otter Babies Ham it Up Following Rescue

Watch the video at the bottom of this post.

Winter the dolphin might be the star at Clearwater Marine Aquarium, but that doesn’t mean she won’t share the spotlight from time to time.

That was the case over the last few days when recuse workers from the facility pitched in to save three American river otter “kits.” The babies, all about 3 months of age, were found without their mothers, suffering from low blood sugar, the aquarium announced.

Weighing in at 3 to 4 pounds each, the kits, since named Audi, Bentley and Camino, were all in need of immediate medical attention.

Bentley and Audi were discovered unresponsive on Friday in a Dunedin apartment complex’s parking lot, aquarium spokeswoman Amy Binder wrote in an email to media. “Staff arrived on scene, provided fluids, and brought the kits to CMA for overnight monitoring and care,” Binder wrote.

Camino was found Sunday night, “water logged and shivering underneath a bridge in Clearwater.” He was secured and given fluids before transport back to the aquarium’s Critical Care Facility.

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Otters normally stay with their mothers for up to a year, so the trio of foundlings will require some extensive oversight before they can be returned to the wild, Binder noted.

During their stay at the aquarium, staff provided round-the-clock care. Camino, Bentley and Audi are now at home at the Clinic for Rehabilitation of Wildlife in Sanibel where they are expected to remain for about 6 to 9 months.

While otters are not an uncommon sight in Florida, aquarium staff members remind people to view them from afar and to avoid interaction.

“Often times, an otter mother will leave her kit for a period of time to forage,” Binder wrote. “Furthermore, otters are potential carriers for rabies.”

Residents who encounter otters that appear distressed are advised to contact the Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s Emergency Stranding Hotline at 727-441-1790, Ext. 234.

For more information about the aquarium’s rescue and rehabilitation work, visit it online.

Photos courtesy of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium

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