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The WNC Nature Center is very excited to welcome their newest male otter friend (name to be determined). He arrived a couple of weeks ago from the Pittsburgh Zoo. Over the course of the next month, they will document the trip some of their staff members took to Pittsburgh to pick him up, as well as to give you the most up-to-date information on what the little guy is doing around here!For now, their new friend is in what is called quarantine, which, in a nut shell, is a period of isolation (from other animals) for 30 days. Unfortunately for guests, that means they won’t be able to see the otter until he has completed his time in quarantine, but this is for good reason. As a member of the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums), the Nature Center is held to certain professional standards when it comes to the care of their animals and maintenance of their facility. When they receive new animals, the staff takes extra precautions to ensure the safety of all of the existing animals at the facility by quarantining the new animals. For example, as stated in the bylines, the otter will be treated at the end of a rotation (he’ll be the last animal to receive treatment during their animal naturalists’ rounds) “so as not to convey potential disease to other areas of the Nature Center.” In addition, the new arrivals receive lots of attention from staff and local vets to make sure that behaviors, injuries and sickness are all in check. And so far, so good! After the 30 days (give or take, depending on what the animal staff sees fit), the new otter will then be released into their River Otter exhibit with Olive. They can’t wait to see how these two will hit it off! Both Olive and the newbie will also be looking forward to a habitat renovation next year, thanks to generous donor Rennie Habel, who made an extraordinary gift to the Nature Center in remembrance of her son, Brandon Horne, who always had a keen interest for the natural world. So get excited about all of the changes going on around the WNC Nature Center. (Image provided by the Asheville Track Club.)
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