Endangered giant otter triplets born at Yorkshire Wildlife Park

Three giant otters were born at Yorkshire Wildlife Park on 27 March

A trio of endangered giant otter pups has been born in South Yorkshire.

The triplets were born at Yorkshire Wildlife Park (YWP), near Doncaster, which runs a conservation programme aimed at protecting the species.

Giant otters were threatened in their South American habitat due to poaching, deforestation and gold mining, a park spokesperson said.

The babies were born on 27 March and were being monitored by expert keepers, they added.

Giant otter triplets were also born at YWP in August 2022 and it is now home to nine of the animals.

The park's aquatics team leader Kelsie Wood said: “We are overjoyed at welcoming a second litter of giant otters in such a short time.

“Giant otters don’t always breed easily and every birth is a significant and valuable one for the breeding programme."

Giant otters are an endangered species, with only 5,000 believed to be still living in the wild

Giant otters come from the Amazon basin in South America but their population has rapidly decreased, according to YWP.

There were believed to be only about 5,000 left in the wild, a park spokesperson added.

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