The baby otter weighed just 5 ounces (28.3 grams) at birth

Nov 26, 2013 02:46 GMT  ·  By

Staff at the Oregon Zoo is happy to announce that, a few weeks ago, a river otter living at this facility delivered a healthy pup. The baby otter was born on November 8, and weighed just 5 ounces (28.3 grams) at that time.

Its mother, Tilly, made sure that its little offspring ate as much and as often as possible. Hence, the tiny creature is now thrice as big as it was when it arrived into this world.

“Young River Otters are very dependent on their moms, and Tilly has been very nurturing,” caretakers Julie Christie told the press, as cited by Zoo Borns.

“She did a great job with her first pup, Mo, earlier this year. She raised him up from this tiny, helpless creature into the sleek, agile, full-grown otter he is today. We’re confident Tilly will be a great mom to her new pup as well,” she added.

The otter mom is very protective of her offspring, which is why keepers have not been able to get close enough to it to determine if it's a boy or a girl. However, they suspect that the baby otter is a male.

The otter family is presently off exhibit, and visitors to the zoo will have to wait another month or two to see them.