Marwell Zoo introduces two Asian short-clawed otters for breeding programme
Hampshire: Marwell Zoo has welcomed two new Asian short-clawed otters to start a conservation breeding pair.
Male Rizzo came from London Zoo and female Thien Than from Woburn Safari Park. The pair was collected on July 30 by keepers, with Thien Than traveling in an air-conditioned van with food and shade.
They will be kept separately for one night before a controlled introduction in a smaller habitat.
The match was made using ZIMS, a global zoo database that tracks animals and helps identify breeding pairs to maximise genetic diversity for the species. Staff at Woburn said Thien Than was the first otter bred there, and they hope she will now start a family at Marwell.
