Woodland Park Zoo Otter Pups Named

SEATTLE, WA — Woodland Park Zoo on Monday announced the names of four North American river otter pups recently born at the zoo. The two male otters are named Tucker and Nooksack, and the two females Piper and Tahu.

Three of the pups received their names by families who are friends of the zoo, a news release said. Patrons who attended the zoo’s Bear Affair: Living Northwest Conservation Day, held this past weekend, voted on Tucker's name.

The pups spend their days with their mother at the zoo's outdoor habitat at Northern Trail, learning how to swim and dive. Born in March, they are the first offspring for mom Valkyrie and dad Ziggy, both 5 years old. Their birth is the first-ever documented river otter birth in Woodland Park Zoo’s 119-year history.

Considered a threatened species, five of 13 otter species are endangered due to water pollution, overfishing of commercial stock and habitat destruction. Woodland Park Zoo offers community members an opportunity to adopt a species through the zoo’s ZooParent program, which helps the zoo contribute information to sustainable breeding, husbandry and public awareness of the river otter.