Snowleopard's Mammals: A Lifetime List of Species Mammalian and Non-Mammalian

[15399]

There are eleven zoos in the US with giant river otters, and this number has been slowly increasing since 2004, when the first North American birth happened at Philadelphia Zoo. Hopefully, this trend will continue and breeding will resume. The following are the zoos, listed in order of when they started to exhibit the species:

• Philadelphia Zoo- 1996
• Dallas World Aquarium- 2002
• Zoo Miami- 2005
• Jacksonville Zoo- 2007
• Los Angeles Zoo- 2009
• Moody Gardens- 2010
• Birmingham Zoo- 2013
• Zoo Atlanta- 2014
• Roger Williams Park Zoo- 2018
• Brevard Zoo- 2019
• Houston Zoo- 2020

 

[blospz]

Despite its unnatural look, the Philadelphia Zoo giant otters do go down that slide a lot, or at least jump on the bottom part.

 

[Lafone]

I never tire of otters of any type, great to see some quality spaces. There are some that are far harder to see in captivity in the UK than others (sea otters for example) however some places like New Forest wildlife park have many different types and there are lots of great exhibits across different zoos, which is great for otter fans.

 

[birdsandbats]

The 4th most common otter species for me has been Giant Otters at 13 zoos. These guys are still quite rare in North American zoos, at less than a dozen current locations according to Zootierliste, but in Europe they are listed at more than double that total and 25 zoos. Seeing Giant Otters is always a thrill as they are enormous compared to their smaller peers.

It's interesting that 6 out of the first 7 zoos on this list are located in very warm climates, with only Philadelphia being the exception. Contrast that with the European zoos that are all in chilly environments but they have large, heated indoor tropical zones for their otters and visitors can enter those structures.

1- Emperor Valley Zoo (Trinidad & Tobago) – Giant Otter – 2008
2- Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (USA) – Giant Otter – 2008
3- Zoo Miami (USA) – Giant Otter – 2008
4- Philadelphia Zoo (USA) – Giant Otter – 2010
5- Dallas World Aquarium (USA) – Giant Otter – 2010
6- Moody Gardens (USA) – Giant Otter – 2015
7- Los Angeles Zoo (USA) – Giant Otter – 2017
8- Pairi Daiza (Belgium) – Giant Otter – 2019
9- Dortmund Zoo (Germany) – Giant Otter – 2019
10- Duisburg Zoo (Germany) – Giant Otter – 2019
11- Tierpark Hagenbeck (Germany) – Giant Otter – 2019
12- Givskud Zoo (Denmark) – Giant Otter – 2022
13- Parken Zoo (Sweden) – Giant Otter – 2022

The very first time I saw Giant Otters was at Emperor Valley Zoo (Trinidad & Tobago) in 2008. Two of the animals were kept in a small, netted enclosure that was barely adequate for the species.

My photo, taken in 2008 at Jacksonville Zoo (USA), is a bit blurry but it shows just how tall Giant Otters can be when they are upright.

I visited Zoo Miami (USA) on the opening day of Amazon & Beyond in 2008 and the Giant Otter exhibit was one of the highlights of the zoo. This is a stunning photo:

@geomorph

I next saw Giant Otters at Philadelphia Zoo (USA) in Carnivore Kingdom in 2010, although that area is now called Water is Life. Compared to Miami's naturalistic habitat, this one looks like a children's playground! Do the Giant Otters actually go cruising down that blue slide?

@blospz

It's all indoors and on the small side, like pretty much every single exhibit at Dallas World Aquarium (USA), but the Giant Otters do have a crashing waterfall in the background and so that's something to get excited about.

Surely a candidate for the largest North American zoo exhibit with Giant Otters, the enclosure at Moody Gardens (USA) has numerous vantage points.

Los Angeles Zoo (USA) apparently needs a $700 million U.S. (a BILLION dollars Canadian!) overhaul via a new Master Plan, but the Rainforest of the Americas complex is excellent and one of the highlights of the zoo.

@Julio C Castro

@Anteaterman

I then saw Giant Otters a half-dozen times in European zoos, as the species has gradually expanded its presence in captivity. Pairi Daiza (Belgium) had Giant Otters in a heavily themed exhibit in 2019, but if I'm not mistaken this enclosure now holds Smooth-coated Otters (a species I've never seen). At the time, I thought it was a bit tight for Giant Otters.

Dortmund Zoo (Germany) has a delightful Otter House and I saw exhibits for Giant Otters and Small-clawed Otters there in 2019.

@Saro

Duisburg Zoo (Germany) had Giant Otters in 2019 and their exhibit is found directly outside the famous Rio Negro tropical aquarium building.

@gulogulogulo

Giant Otter exhibit at Tierpark Hagenbeck (Germany):

@FunkyGibbon

An impressive Giant Otter House devoted entirely to a single species is at Givskud Zoo (Denmark) and it's most impressive. There's at least 3 exhibits between the indoor and outdoor sections, continuing the trend of spacious animal habitats in Scandinavian zoos.

You can see two Giant Otters resting on a log in this large, nicely detailed exhibit at Parken Zoo (Sweden). When it's snowy and cold in a Swedish winter, the otters can retreat into their steamy, humid house with its 'algae-green' pools.

Otter Species:

North American River Otters - 115 zoos
Small-clawed Otters - 82 zoos
Sea Otters - 15 zoos
Giant Otters - 13 zoos

The plants in that last exhibit look like duckweed, not algae. This is a good thing, because while excessive algae can be a health hazard to animals, duckweed increases water quality and makes it so the water has to be cleaned less often.

 

[ralph]

@ralph you mentioned your Felid species total, but I was still curious of your canid total, or even any of the other groups of carnivores.

Felines: 28 species (not including domesticated cat)
Hyenas: 4 species
Malagasy carnivores: 4 species
Civets: 11 species
African palm civets: 1 species
Mongooses: 10 species (1 of which wild only)
Skunks: 2 species
Mustelids: 26 species (2 of which wild only)
Procyonids: 7 species (1 of which wild only)
Red pandas: 1 species
Bears: 8 species
Canids: 18 species (I'm counting wolf, dingo and domesticed dog as 1 species)
Eared seals: 9 species
Walrus: 1 species
Seals: 4 species

 

[Lafone]

Although the discussion on Scottish wildcats was a a little way back in the thread, I thought it worth sharing some of the first successful wild births for cats born in captivity and then released under the scheme overseen by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS). Reported a few days ago here.

Kittens born in Cairngorms to captive-bred Scottish wildcats

 

[snowleopard]

There's definitely a regional bias for me when it comes to Sea Otters, perhaps one of the few species where I have a geographical advantage compared to other zoo enthusiasts. My 'local' zoological facility is the Greater Vancouver Zoo (small, 55 species, privately owned) and even Vancouver Aquarium is at least an hour drive west. I'm a 5-hour round-trip to Seattle.

Sea Otters are at Vancouver Aquarium, across the border at Seattle Aquarium and Point Defiance Zoo, and then if one keeps driving south it's possible to view Sea Otters at Oregon Zoo and Oregon Coast Aquarium. There's a trio of California establishments where I've seen Sea Otters, so a big West Coast road trip could allow a zoo nerd to watch captive Sea Otters at quite a number of facilities and to also see them in the wild. Contrast that with the entirety of Europe, where there's only Den Bla Planet Aquarium (Denmark), Oceanopolis Aquarium (France), Lisbon Aquarium (Portugal) and a Birmingham Sea Life Aquarium (England) with Sea Otters. They are very rare species in captivity and one factor is cost as Sea Otters require an expensive diet.

As for Giant Otters, I have visited all 11 zoos that currently have the species in the USA (@Neil chace kindly provided the list below and the year that Giant Otters joined each facility), but the bottom 5 zoos all added the species after my visit. It's fascinating that 9 out of the 11 zoos are located in the South, in a warm climate, with Philadelphia and Roger Williams Park being the two exceptions.

Santa Ana Zoo is adding Giant Otters to their Amazon's Edge complex that should be done by 2025, although the opening date has been bumped several times. That 1990 complex is currently being renovated and modernized.

• Philadelphia Zoo- 1996
• Dallas World Aquarium- 2002
• Zoo Miami- 2005
• Jacksonville Zoo- 2007
• Los Angeles Zoo- 2009
• Moody Gardens- 2010
• Birmingham Zoo- 2013
• Zoo Atlanta- 2014
• Roger Williams Park Zoo- 2018
• Brevard Zoo- 2019
• Houston Zoo- 2020

 

[snowleopard]

I've seen European Otters at 10 zoos in 5 different nations. Also called the Eurasian Otter, this species is essentially the 'Euro' version of the North American River Otter.

In many ways, this thread has become a study of contrasts between North American and European zoos, with the occasional Australian zoo tossed in for good measure. (I really need to get over to Asia one day ). An intriguing comparison would be to look at North American River Otters and European Otters, as they are very similar in appearance, height, weight and are each other's equivalent.

On my list of 115 zoos with River Otters, I count at least TEN facilities that keep the species entirely indoors. Even with the use of skylights, and copious amounts of mock-rock, is that suitable these days? Is it acceptable to have River Otters indoors with perhaps a limited amount of natural substrate? Perhaps not. I've got a very small sample size when it comes to European Otters as I've only seen this species at 10 zoos, but can anyone name TEN European collections that keep that species entirely indoors? Can anyone name ANY zoos that keep European Otters inside 24/7? It's not as acceptable in European zoos.

That's a key difference between the continents when it comes to zoological practices. I've highlighted it before with primates, such as lemurs, but the number of North American zoos keeping mammals indoors 24/7 compared to Europe is substantially higher. Also, far more European zoos allow their animals access to their entire exhibit at all hours of the day. So, not only do almost all species have outdoor access, but they are not locked away in barns and holding areas for 16 hours each day of their lives which is still the case at many U.S. facilities. Of course, zoos with cavernous tropical houses like Burgers, Emmen, Leipzig and Zurich do keep some mammals entirely indoors, in climate-controlled situations, but that's the same case in North America as well.

Anyway, when it comes to European Otters, they do very well indeed for zoo exhibits. Check out some of these fantastic enclosures.

1- Zurich Zoo (Switzerland) – European Otter – 2003
2- Natuurpark Lelystad (Netherlands) – European Otter – 2019
3- Wildpark Gangelt (Germany) – European Otter – 2019
4- GaiaZOO (Netherlands) – European Otter – 2019
5- Cologne Zoo (Germany) – European Otter – 2019
6- Wildpark Reuschenberg (Germany) – European Otter – 2019
7- Krefeld Zoo (Germany) – European Otter – 2019
8- Olderdissen Zoo (Germany) – European Otter – 2019
9- AQUA Aquarium & Wildlife Park (Denmark) – European Otter – 2022
10- Kristiansand Zoo (Norway) – European Otter – 2022

@Lafone

Zurich Zoo's (Switzerland) European Otter exhibit:

@Philipine eagle

I was stunned when I visited Natuurpark Lelystad (Netherlands), and not just for the walk-through Wisent exhibit (!!), as I came across an area that had SEVEN European Otter exhibits all near each other. I had great fun watching several otters running around and even though some of the exhibits were so dense with undergrowth that seeing an otter became impossible, with SEVEN enclosures there's probably always an easy opportunity to view otters at this zoo.

The first image was taken from a huge wooden platform that looks slightly down on the otter exhibits, and the second image shows how there's zero stand-off barriers and a visitor can walk right up to the fence line if they wished to get very close to an otter.

Another beautiful, natural-looking European Otter exhibit is at Wildpark Gangelt (Germany):

@16217

A long, narrow European Otter exhibit at GaiaZOO (Netherlands) comes with a life-sized otter statue. Very cute!

@KevinB

Here's the only photo in the gallery of the grassy European Otter exhibit at Cologne Zoo (Germany):

@Hvedekorn

Wildpark Reuschenberg (Germany) has two exhibits with European Otters, both with surprisingly small barriers as a visitor could easily reach over or even step over the fences and enter an otter enclosure. It's very different in Europe, with the onus on visitors to behave themselves and zoos never have to face silly lawsuits. Enter at your own risk!

Both exhibits have murals on them:

European Otters do very well in captivity, with Krefeld Zoo (Germany) yet another example of an outdoors, naturalistic habitat.

@Maguari

Here's the only image in the gallery of the European Otter exhibit at Olderdissen Zoo (Germany), which I visited in 2019 along with most of the zoos on this list. This enclosure has an interesting raised platform to view the otters from.

AQUA Aquarium & Wildlife Park (Denmark) is a wonderful little zoo that focuses almost exclusively on native wildlife. One of the highlights is the European Otter exhibit, but in truth every single habitat at this aquarium/zoo is excellent. I saw two otters sunning themselves on rocks, but I would have loved to see them swim via those huge underwater viewing windows. I came back to this exhibit several times, but the otters only craved sunshine.

The 10th and final zoo where I've seen European Otters is Kristiansand Zoo (Norway) and of course this species does well there. Two large exhibits are bisected by a wooden visitor walkway, set against a rocky mini-mountain backdrop.

Otter Species:

North American River Otters - 115 zoos
Small-clawed Otters - 82 zoos
Sea Otters - 15 zoos
Giant Otters - 13 zoos
European Otters - 10 zoos

 

[Panda_Fan]

I would like a thread in which you talk about your trip to asian zoos!!!

 

[snowleopard]

It's time to finish off otters! There are THREE species in today's post, giving me a lifetime total of having seen 8 out of the world's 13 otter species. It fascinates me that in my visits to 120 different European collections, I never saw any of these 3 species there.

I've seen Spotted-necked Otters at 10 zoos:

1- San Diego Zoo (USA) – Spotted-necked Otter – 2006
2- Toledo Zoo (USA) – Spotted-necked Otter – 2008
3- Toronto Zoo (Canada) – Spotted-necked Otter – 2008
4- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) – Spotted-necked Otter – 2008
5- Phoenix Zoo (USA) – Spotted-necked Otter – 2008
6- Monterey Bay Aquarium (USA) – Spotted-necked Otter – 2008
7- Reid Park Zoo (USA) – Spotted-necked Otter – 2011
8- Little Rock Zoo (USA) – Spotted-necked Otter – 2012
9- Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA) – Spotted-necked Otter – 2017
10- Oregon Zoo (USA) - Spotted-necked Otter – 2023

AND...

I've seen African Clawless Otters at 1 zoo:

1- San Diego Zoo (USA) – African Clawless Otter – 2008

AND...

I've seen Neotropical Otters at 1 zoo:

1- Emperor Valley Zoo (Trinidad & Tobago) - Neotropical Otter – 2008

The first time I ever came across Spotted-necked Otters was at San Diego Zoo (USA), in a famous mixed-species habitat in the Ituri Forest zone. There's seemingly always been otters in this exhibit, along with Red-tailed Monkeys for many years although it appears that Allen's Swamp Monkeys are currently in residence (and sometimes both primates have been together with otters at the same time in the past).

Here's a nice portrait image which shows how Spotted-necked Otters got their name:

@NigeW

Here's the main primate/otter exhibit:

A different section of the exhibit has often been home to Forest Buffalo and Red River Hogs, along with the two primate species and otters. It's very much a style of exhibitry that is more common in European zoos and San Diego has been successful with all these species.

@geomorph

Incredibly, I then visited SIX zoos in the summer of 2008 that all had Spotted-necked Otters. I was at San Diego for a repeat visit, along with FIVE new zoos with the species. Of those 6 zoos that summer, 3 of them had all-indoor otter enclosures.

Toledo Zoo (USA) had a children's playground slide for its Spotted-necked Otters that year:

@team tapir

Inside the African Rainforest Pavilion, Toronto Zoo (Canada) used to have Spotted-necked Otters.

@Newzooboy

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium (USA) has had Spotted-necked Otters inside the Lied Jungle tropical rainforest complex for probably 20 years or even longer.

@Brayden Delashmutt

Phoenix Zoo (USA) has had Spotted-necked Otters in a mini-grotto type exhibit for years:

I saw Spotted-necked Otters in a temporary exhibit called Wild About Otters at Monterey Bay Aquarium (USA) back in 2008. Here's the only ZooChat photo of the enclosure:

I saw Spotted-necked Otters at Reid Park Zoo (USA) in 2011:

Little Rock Zoo (USA) had Spotted-necked Otters in 2012 and they still have the species now.

An old California Sea Lion pool was remodeled into an exhibit for Spotted-necked Otters at Fresno Chaffee Zoo (USA) and it was full of scenic lily pads in 2017:

A spacious primate exhibit (Colobus Monkeys and Allen's Swamp Monkeys together) was renovated, with the roof mesh removed, and Spotted-necked Otters were added in recent years at Oregon Zoo (USA). This zoo likes otters, as Sea Otters and North American River Otters are also there, giving them 3 species.

I took this photo in 2017, the last time I saw the remaining African Clawless Otter at San Diego Zoo (USA). I don't believe that the zoo has the species these days.

@TheoV

I saw two Neotropical Otters at Emperor Valley Zoo (Trinidad & Tobago) in 2008, in a small enclosure next to the Giant Otters. At the time, seeing both those otter species was a first for me and it was an extraordinary zoo visit.

Here's a close-up of a Neotropical Otter:

@Giant Eland

Otter Species: 8 out of 13

North American River Otters - 115 zoos
Small-clawed Otters - 82 zoos
Sea Otters - 15 zoos
Giant Otters - 13 zoos
European Otters - 10 zoos
Spotted-necked Otters - 10 zoos
African Clawless Otters - 1 zoo
Neotropical Otters - 1 zoo

 

[Panda_Fan]

What happened to the Toronto zoo otters??

 

[Panda_Fan]

As for the african clawless otter, I think that another facility has them in the US, but I'm not sure.

 

[evilmonkey239]

Disappointingly, Toledo has since replaced their spotted-necked otters with North American river otters, meaning there’s now yet another non-African animal living on the Tembo Trail.

 

[birdsandbats]

As for the african clawless otter, I think that another facility has them in the US, but I'm not sure.

Metro Richmond Zoo is the last holder in the US.

 

[carlos55]

Mexican zoos only keep Neotropical otters and they are not common. I have seen them at San Juan de Aragon, Morelia, and Zoomat zoos and at Acuario Michin in Guadalajara and Acuario Veracruz.Most are rescued from the illegal pet trade and only acuario Michin has bred otters in Mexico. All exhibits here are decent for them.

 

[birdsandbats]

Since Neotropical River Otters are a US native species (in Texas) it is possible some may show up as rescues at some point.

 

[Ituri]

Since Neotropical River Otters are a US native species (in Texas) it is possible some may show up as rescues at some point.

do you have a source on this?

 

[birdsandbats]

do you have a source on this?

I learned this from Field Guide to Finding Mammals in North America by Vladimir Dinets.

 

[snowleopard]

Now that I've finished off otters, I will move on in the Mustelidae family to badgers. I've seen American Badgers at 31 zoos and European Badgers at 5 zoos. These are tricky species to showcase to the general public, as they need to be kept in exhibits that are somewhat barricaded, or else they will escape. Also, having a species that is apt to dig underground doesn't always make for a great display animal in a zoo.

The majority of the badger exhibits I've seen haven't been very memorable, and yet these are common animals in non-accredited North American zoos. I saw badgers at a dozen different collections just in 2014 and 2015. The 'state animal' of Wisconsin is the badger and Henry Vilas Zoo (USA) opened a Wisconsin Heritage American Badger exhibit after I had toured the zoo and so I haven't seen it with my own eyes. In truth, it is nothing spectacular but at least it's not a bare-bones metal cage like some of the examples I'll talk about in this post.

@Milwaukee Man

1- Northwest Trek Wildlife Park (USA) – American Badger – 2005
2- B.C. Wildlife Park (Canada) – American Badger – 2006
3- Milwaukee County Zoo (USA) – American Badger – 2010
4- CuriOdyssey (USA) – American Badger – 2011
5- The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens (USA) – American Badger – 2011
6- CALM (California Living Museum) (USA) – American Badger – 2011
7- Pocatello Zoo (USA) – American Badger – 2012
8- Bear Country U.S.A. (USA) – American Badger – 2014
9- Dakota Zoo (USA) – American Badger – 2014
10- DeYoung Family Zoo (USA) – American Badger – 2014
11- Northeastern Wisconsin (NEW) Zoo (USA) – American Badger – 2014
12- Timbavati Wildlife Park (USA) – American Badger – 2014
13- Wildlife Prairie Park (USA) – American Badger – 2014
14- Hutchinson Zoo (USA) – American Badger – 2014
15- Riverside Discovery Center (USA) – American Badger – 2015
16- The Texas Zoo (USA) – American Badger – 2015
17- Alameda Park Zoo (USA) – American Badger – 2015
18- Bearizona (USA) – American Badger – 2015
19- Turtle Bay Exploration Park (USA) – American Badger – 2015
20- Greater Vancouver Zoo (Canada) – American Badger – 2017
21- Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo (Canada) – American Badger – 2018
22- GarLyn Zoo (USA) – American Badger – 2018
23- Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park (USA) – American Badger – 2018
24- MacKenzie Center (USA) – American Badger – 2018
25- Bear Den Zoo (USA) – American Badger – 2018
26- Shalom Wildlife Zoo (USA) – American Badger – 2018
27- Special Memories Zoo (USA) – American Badger – 2018
28- Zollman Zoo (USA) – American Badger – 2018
29- Planckendael Zoo (Belgium) – European Badger – 2019
30- Zoo Neuwied (Germany) – European Badger – 2019
31- Olderdissen Zoo (Germany) – European Badger – 2019
32- Dierenpark Amersfoort (Netherlands) – European Badger – 2019
33- AQUA Aquarium & Wildlife Park (Denmark) – European Badger – 2022
34- Wildlife Images Rehabilitation and Education Center (USA) – American Badger – 2023
35- Monterey Zoo (USA) – American Badger – 2023
36- Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (USA) – American Badger – 2023

@Flyer.Nick

The first time I ever remember seeing an American Badger is at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park (USA) in 2005. The exhibit there is seen after ascending some stairs, as it is hidden away from the other small mammal enclosures on the lower level.

Naturally, American Badgers are digging animals and so zoos usually have a hidden barrier beneath the surface of an exhibit and then a thick layer of dirt on top. You can see a badger in this mini mock-rock grotto at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens (USA).

There's a pleasant looking forest backdrop to this American Badger exhibit at Bearizona (USA).

There's a brightly coloured flower sunshade in this American Badger exhibit at Zollman Zoo (USA). The enclosure opened in 2018.

It's very rare to see three American Badgers together in a zoo, but that was the case for me at Bear Country U.S.A. (USA) in 2014.

However, some U.S. zoo owners don't seem to comprehend that American Badgers need dirt for enrichment, hiding opportunities, to locate food, or simply to be proper badgers. Here's an American Badger in a cage with a cement floor at Monterey Zoo (USA). I just took this photo last year, so it's not like this is an image from the 1980s or anything crazy like that.

A small, corn-crib American Badger cage at Bear Den Zoo (USA):

This one still has a cement floor, but there's a scattering of natural substrate on top for the American Badger in residence. Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park (USA) in 2018:

At Special Memories Zoo (USA), there's a kiddie train ride and it stops at each exhibit and the driver hauls animals out of their cages to bring over to visitors. Yikes!

At so many U.S. zoos, it's been easy for me to actually see American Badgers. At far too many locations, there's nowhere for a badger to hide! Here's another example, this time at the infamous Timbavati Wildlife Park (USA):

Here's two American Badgers in a very tiny cage at DeYoung Family Zoo (USA):

Onto European Badgers...

@robreintjes

Ahhh, European zoos, how I love them. They know how to properly showcase animals, at least the Western European zoos I've visited. Here's a lush, spacious, naturalistic European Badger exhibit at AQUA Aquarium & Wildlife Park (Denmark). It's a stunning enclosure, and if you cannot locate any badgers then you can always see them sleeping in their den by squeezing through a dark tunnel that looks like it belongs in the Lord of the Rings (see second photo).

Although this is kind of a weird looking European Badger exhibit at Olderdissen Zoo (Germany).

When @jwer and I toured Dierenpark Amersfoort (Netherlands) together in 2019, we had a good laugh because I was at the 95th and final zoo of that epic, month-long trek and we watched the European Badgers frolic around their exhibit for a long time. "Scott, how long do you want to sit here and watch badgers?" I didn't want to leave, because I was just about done my latest zoo trip, I hardly ever had seen European Badgers in my lifetime, and the exhibit is world-class. This is how you showcase badgers to the public.

All three photos via @Mr Gharial

Mustelidae:

North American River Otters - 115 zoos
Small-clawed Otters - 82 zoos
American Badgers - 31 zoos
Sea Otters - 15 zoos
Giant Otters - 13 zoos
European Otters - 10 zoos
Spotted-necked Otters - 10 zoos
European Badgers - 5 zoos
African Clawless Otters - 1 zoo
Neotropical Otters - 1 zoo

 

[Mr Gharial]

When @jwer and I toured Dierenpark Amersfoort (Netherlands) together in 2019, we had a good laugh because I was at the 95th and final zoo of that epic, month-long trek and we watched the European Badgers frolic around their exhibit for a long time. "Scott, how long do you want to sit here and watch badgers?" I didn't want to leave, because I was just about done my latest zoo trip, I hardly ever had seen European Badgers in my lifetime, and the exhibit is world-class. This is how you showcase badgers to the public.

All three photos via @Mr Gharial

This exhibit is indeed world-class! The mixture of the underground tunnel with den viewing, a few terrariums, an underrepresented species and the near-invisible barriers to the outside exhibit makes it a really outstanding area! Very looked-over in my opinion.