Chestnut Centre Conservation & Wildlife Park Giant Otter Cubs

F

ffione

Member
Hi all,
Im usually just a lurker here, never actually posted but just thought you would all like to know that I was at the Chestnut Centre this weekend and their two giant otters have had cubs. There are 3 cubs and they were born on the 23rd of June and are so far doing really well. The enclosure is off limits at the moment so they arent disturbed as there is a 78% mortality rate with this species within the first year, however there is a video link in the cafe where you can watch all five of them. From what we saw they are doing really well, constantly suckling and wriggling round!
They dont know when they will be on show to the public yet, they are monitoring them and will see how they get on.
 
ffione said:
Hi all,
Im usually just a lurker here, never actually posted but just thought you would all like to know that I was at the Chestnut Centre this weekend and their two giant otters have had cubs. There are 3 cubs and they were born on the 23rd of June and are so far doing really well. The enclosure is off limits at the moment so they arent disturbed as there is a 78% mortality rate with this species within the first year, however there is a video link in the cafe where you can watch all five of them. From what we saw they are doing really well, constantly suckling and wriggling round!
They dont know when they will be on show to the public yet, they are monitoring them and will see how they get on.
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Thank you for the wonderful news ffione, you are most welcome here please jump in have your say, Thanks again :)
 
SUPERB news - thanks for that - cheered up my Monday morning!

Chestnut have been working with the species so much longer than any other UK (by more than a factor of ten) so it would have been rather a shame if they were beaten to the punch (even if it were to be by Chester!).

Does anyone know if this would be a UK first (assuming they make it to 30 days)? Strikes me as the kind of thing London probably bred decades ago!
 
What fantastic news! :D I was there in mid may and was told that they were hoping she was expecting but I didn't want to tempt fate by announcing it on here. Hope that all three continue to thrive! :)

Hopefully the first of many litters born in the UK!
 
Chestnut is part of a pretty exclusive club now, as only about 15 zoos have ever bred giant otters in history ! I hope and wish that everything goes well with the cubs. The enclosure at Chestnut is beautiful and well suited to house a large family of giant otters !
 
Great news Ffione, thanks for that, and welcome to the site, a fully fledged poster now ;).

Maybe now we will see even more collections taking them on.

And as Maguari says, they have been working with them for many years, and a richly deserved accolade of a UK first breeding.
 
Just what makes ZooChat great , when we get such exciting news from a small collection . In my mind this is one of the most interesting UK breedings in quite a while .

Perhaps in a few years Giant Otters will become familiar and not an almost mythical beast , as has happened in the past for species like Snow Leopard and Maned Wolf .
 
I picked up this on my phone via RSS earlier, IMMD. Thanks for the news update, I'm pleased The Chesnut Centre got the uk first, but for me the more collections that keep them the better, wonderful animals :)
 
Brilliant news! Well done to the staff who've been waiting a long time for this, and of course Manoki and Panambi for being compatible. ;)

And the NFWP plans to keep giant otters in their woodland lake at some point in the future, so they'll definately start spreading! :D
 
Zambar said:
Brilliant news! Well done to the staff who've been waiting a long time for this, and of course Manoki and Panambi for being compatible. ;)
And the NFWP plans to keep giant otters in their woodland lake at some point in the future, so they'll definately start spreading! :D
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I think you mentioned previously that one of this pair was quarantined at the NFWP. Do you (or anybody) know how long the parents have been together at the Chestnut Centre before this noteworthy breeding success took place?
 
Pertinax said:
I think you mentioned previously that one of this pair was quarantined at the NFWP. Do you (or anybody) know how long the parents have been together at the Chestnut Centre before this noteworthy breeding success took place?
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Hi Pertinax I photographed the pair together at the Chestnut centre on the 31/05/2009,I was told that they had been introduced 5 days before my visit.
 
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zoogiraffe said:
Hi Pertinax I photographed the pair together at the Chestnut centre on the 31/05/2010,I was told that they had been introduced 5 days before my visit.
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That doesn't add up even if they mated straight away there was not enough time for a normal gestation.
 
zoogiraffe said:
Hi Pertinax I photographed the pair together at the Chestnut centre on the 31/05/2010,I was told that they had been introduced 5 days before my visit.
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That would be 31/05/2009, no?
 
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