Baby otter triplets go swimming for first time

The cute triplets were born at Chester Zoo to first-time parents Bonita and Manu.

Now, at 15 weeks old, the youngsters have had an unforgettable introduction to life in the water as they experience their very first swimming lessons.

Led by mom Bonita and dad Manu, the pups were picked up one by one by the scruff of their neck and popped straight into the ‘deep end’ of the water.

Zookeepers have named the two boys Uca and Yali after a region of the Amazon rainforest while the female pup has been named Yara – which translates to ‘river spirit’ in Brazilian folklore.

Frazer Walsh, keeper on the zoo’s carnivore team, said: “Bonita and Manu’s three pups have been quietly tucked up in a cosy den since being born.

“While giant otters look completely at home in the water, being born with webbed feet, a strong rudder-like tail and two layers of fur that keep them waterproof, even they have to learn the basics when they’re young.

“But getting them into the water for the first time is a real family affair, and parents Manu and Bonita have taken a 'thrown in at the deep end' approach quite literally - gently grabbing the pups by the scruff of the neck and popping them straight into the water.

“It looks a little dramatic, but it's exactly what they'd do in the wild, and it's working brilliantly as the pups are already finding the confidence to swim independently – which is just fantastic to see.”

Giant otters are the world's largest species of otter.

The species faces an uncertain future as conservationists estimate that between 2,000 and 5,000 remain across South America - with the otters already having disappeared from Uruguay.

Their decline is blamed on deforestation, water pollution and illegal hunting.

The species is listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), meaning it faces a very high risk of extinction without urgent conservation action.

The pups were born as part of the international conservation breeding programme in European zoos in a bid to boost their numbers.