Two North American river otter pups were introduced to their new habitat at the Brevard Zoo Thursday night.
The male and female pups were both orphaned in the wild and were rescued and rehabilitated by an independent facility before arriving at Brevard Zoo in May, where their care continued.
This past week they were named John and Gladys through a public vote.
John is five months old and Gladys is four months old.
“When otters are born, they don’t naturally know how to swim, so that’s a skill they’ve had to learn from us,” said animal curator Kerry Sweeney. “These two had a bit of a rough start but they’re thriving in their new home.”
Sweeney added that when John and Gladys are not causing a ruckus in the water, they enjoy playing with toys, munching on apples and taking naps. The otters are now on exhibit and can be viewed daily in the Zoo’s Wild Florida loop.