Hey, friends! Thank you for supporting “Spread the Butter.” You helped raise $250, and a few weeks ago we had the opportunity to hand deliver the money to the crew at the MOTE Marine Laboratory and Aquarium down in Sarasota, Florida. While we were there, we got to meet some of my distant cousins, North American River Otters named Huck, Pippi and Jane. They are all orphans, and were named after famous orphans in literature!
We got to present our “big check” to Savanna Miller, Executive Assistant for Development. The money will go to the Mote’s Buoyancy Fund to help them maintain their operations during the pandemic. And here is a super cool part – they have a matching funds program, so they will get double the money! Thanks again for all of your support! It really makes a difference.
Huck, Pippi and Jane live in a custom designed habitat that provides for all of their needs, and are cared for by a team of very dedicated humans. But it is not all fun and games. These otters are also helping scientists and researchers learn about the life of otters. They are currently helping us to understand how otters communicate with each other under water using sound and vocalizations.
We had a chance to talk with one of the humans that cares for the otters. She has formal training in animal care and spends a great deal of time making sure these guys are happy and well fed. We discussed the trend of humans keeping otters as pets, and asked what advice she would give to anyone considering an otter pet. Her response. “Don’t do it.”
- It is probably illegal where you live. North American River Otters are illegal to own without a permit in the United States. Only a few states will allow Asian Small Clawed Otters as exotic pets.
- They smell! Otters have a very strong smell they excrete from special glands and they use it to mark their territory. Which means everything you own will stink of otter.
- They are very territorial. So, if you think you will have friends over to visit and cuddle with your pet otter, they are more likely to get bitten.
- It is a lot of work to provide the care, feeding and enrichment otters need to live a healthy life.
So, in summary, forget about it!
Pamela Siderski was our VIP Tour Guide and gave us a wonderful walking tour of the rest of the research facility. They have many sea turtles that have helped scientist understand their life cycle and how we can help protect them in the wild. They also have a program to breed coral and restore coral reefs. But our favorite animal ambassadors, besides the otters, were two manatees, Hugh and Buffet. These two half-brothers were born in captivity, and when they are not munching on romaine lettuce, they love to greet visitors by pressing their noses to the glass and sharing a little “snoot boop.” I love these guys!
We also want to give a huge shout out to Cameron McPhail who took all of these wonderful pictures! He is super patient, which is a good quality when trying to take pictures of a bunch of very energetic otters.
If you are ever in the Sarasota area, stop in and say hello to Huck, Pippi, Jane, Hugh, Buffet and all of the other amazing animals and their super cool human friends at the MOTE Marine Laboratory and Aquarium!
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