Two new Asian Small-clawed Otters have arrived at Perth Zoo and our zoo keepers are helping them  fall in love!

Well… not exactly. But we are setting them up for success in the hopes they’ll become a bonded breeding pair.
Meet male, Saati and female, Squid. Both arrived from different zoos and through the regionally coordinated breeding program, they were deemed a match!

As they hadn’t met before, our animal carers needed to introduce them slowly rather than jumping straight into a ‘blind date’.

Senior Asian Carnivore Keeper, Marty Boland, said: “We started by placing small amounts of bedding into each other’s habitat to get them used to the smell and see whether there were any reactions to it.

“Then we opened the gates to allow them to have access to meet each other.  We were all very pleased to see them exploring each other and getting along.

“Squid was initially quite a nervous otter, but it was incredible to see that once she met Saati, her confidence skyrocketed.

“It’s quite sweet to see her following him around all day now, the introductions went very well and we hope to welcome some otterly adorable otter pups this year!”

In the wild, Asian Small-clawed Otters are a very social species, forming family groups and pairing for life.
At just four and five years old, Squid and Saati have not yet had any pups of their own.

That’s why our zoo keepers are encouraging them to develop a bond, and hopefully start their own family.

Stay tuned for future updates on this love story!