GREEN BAY (Wis.) – On the morning of Thursday, March 20th, during the recent winter storm, two North American river otters, Louie and Ophelia, managed to escape their habitat at the NEW Zoo.
According to a Facebook post from the NEW Zoo & Adventure Park, they squeezed through a small opening in the fence that they had enlarged themselves. Zookeepers say they quickly noticed the two otters were missing and started searching for them.
Zookeepers report tracks in the snow and camera footage showed that the otters did have their fun in the snow, sliding on their bellies and exploring nearby ponds. The post says they stayed close to the zoo, circling the area but not going far.
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The zoo says otters are known to stay near their home, and Louie and Ophelia seem to be doing just that.
The posts says both otters were once wild but were brought to the NEW Zoo for rehabilitation. They are well-suited to live in Wisconsin’s cold weather and are familiar with the area around the zoo, which has plenty of natural food and safe places for them to rest.
The zoo believes the otters could return and are monitoring the area with cameras, working with trackers to find them safely. Zookeepers say that Louie and Ophelia are not a danger to the public, and it is unlikely they will approach people.
The NEW Zoo will keep the public updated with more information as it becomes available.
