Oscar my Pet Otter and a Talk about Otters

A video of me with my pet Otter Oscar in his enclosure. The first part of the video is his morning feed including a bit more information about Oscar and Asian short clwed Otters in general, and the second part (after the camera ran out of battery) is his following morning feed.

I talk about some of the issues surrounding keeping Otters, training Otters (particulalry Asian short claws), and my experiences working with them at Lakes Aquarium. Otters fascinate me, and hopefully from this video you can gain some insight into what it is like to be around them. How you must appreciate them for what they are as intelligent, intuitive animals. If you have any questions or would like to discuss any elements of the video then please message or comment.

Thanks for watching........

http://www.youtube.com/lakesaquarium#p/a/u/0/UYMTNtyZGCY

Above is a video with slides of two other Asian short clawed Otters I worked with - Mia & Smudge.......

Please also see my training video on my channel page!

You can also find a great source for everything Otters at www.otterjoy.co.uk

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• oscar
• otter
• lakes
• cumbria
• aquarium
• zoo
• otters
• training
• feed
• talk
• pet
• fish
• bay
• tank
• talking
• water
• aquatic
• goldfish
• feeding

[gottabewillabee]

How does one come across getting an otter without having to take it from the wild? Where would I get one and what is the cost approximately?

[YKWYA1]

@gottabewillabee They should never ever be taken from the Wild. And, native species often have legal protection. The only time would be of one were injured and taken in by a sanctuary. The only other place they come from is out ofthe Zoo/Aquarium system. Often in these cases they will be too old (as considered by that instituation - and to them baby Otters equal 'cute' and more $ tickets sales) or that the establishment is closing. There are insurance costs, food costs.......

[YKWYA1]

@YKWYA1 ...the costs of appropriate enclosures. But most importantly, it is the knowledge and time. First of all I would recommend spending time at an establishment that has Otters, to get to know them, and all of the things you need to consider.

[slothkeeper]

i am getting a baby asian otter for my educational program . other zoo people here in my area are warning me this is not a good choice. even seaworld handlers . I am nervous they are right . this a very expensive purchase . I have a lot of experience with many kinds of exotics but sometimes certian species as a whole are bad choices . of course there is the one exception here or there . Have u seen other otters be as tame as yours . Thanks

[YKWYA1]

@slothkeeper Well, the fact is that so long as you have the knowlege, follow your local authority guidelines on welfare, are insured, and have inspections from a Vet - there shouldnt be a problem. Make sure you google the Asian Short Claws in captivity guidelines, and follow what they need for diets and enrichment. I havnt met any as tame as Oscar, but he was hand reared. Others are friendly, but wont want you to stroke them!

[HyakkoShachi]

I assosiate otters more with seals and the like...

If you had a pool and you where hand raising an otter,how would you go about encouraging it to swim?Would you have to go in the water with it?

[YKWYA1]

@HyakkoShachi I would start off encouraging them in a bath or something like that, and filling it more and more until they felt comfortable. Oscar doent like it if his feet dont touch the bottom of the pool.

[fightersanime]

lol my dog started whining when she heard the otter squealing. :P