Beloved River Otter At Detroit Zoo Dies

ROYAL OAK, MI — The Detroit Zoo is mourning the loss of a beloved river otter, who died at the advanced age of 21, zoo officials announced Tuesday.

The river otter, Whisker, was rescued in 2003 when she was just a pup and was brought to the zoo in 2009, according to zoo officials.

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Shortly after her arrival, Whisker and a male otter, Lucius, became inseparable, and in 2012 became the parents of the first river otter litter to be born at the zoo in 50 years, according to zoo officials.

"Whisker was a superb mother. She was also very smart and quick to catch onto training. She was a favorite among her caretakers, who bonded deeply with her over the years," according to zoo officials.

As Whisker got older, she started losing the function of her hindlimbs, resulting in mobility issues and discomfort, according to zoo officials.

Her care team worked to develop ways to prolong her quality of life, but ultimately decided to humanely euthanize her, according to zoo officials.

"She was truly an amazing otter and will be dearly missed by all," according to zoo officials.

The median life expectancy for river otters is 12 years, according to zoo officials.