Written and submitted by Diane Tomecek
Freyja (turned away), Odin (center) and Thor (right) |
The Pueblo Zoo was established early in the twentieth century and was a city run facility until January 1991 when the Pueblo Zoological Society took over operations as a non-profit organization and has continued to care for the facility and its animals since then.
One might ask, ”Why river otters at The Pueblo Zoo?” Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs and The Denver Zoo both have river otters, so why Pueblo as well? Simply put, the fun and playful antics of otters make them a very popular exhibit at any facility. Additionally, the public had asked for them! Over the years, Pueblo Zoo staff members had conducted gate surveys containing a wish list of animals; visitors to the zoo consistently selected otters as the animal they wanted to see at the zoo. Based on those results, the Pueblo Zoo embarked on a journey to give the public what they wanted.
Thelma - missing her left foreleg |
The Zoo also has two males: 13-year-old Odin, named for the Nordic god of wealth, wisdom and inspiration and 11-year-old Thor, named for the Nordic god of thunder. They were wild-caught in Louisiana and then taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center in Telluride, Colorado. When this center, now closed, was searching for a new home for the two males, the Pueblo Zoo promptly responded and brought “the boys”, as Pococke calls them, to meet Thelma. Animals were now in place for the long awaited otter exhibit.
Odin |
In addition to the exhibit space, which is located just past the entrance to the zoo, the otters enjoy a substantial off-exhibit area. Here, the otters have another section of open land that provides them a more rugged wild feel. In the winter after a traditional Colorado snowstorm, the otters might enjoy spending as much time off-exhibit as on. There is a steep hill that allows them to partake in their natural snow-sliding behavior.
Over the years, the Zoo has attempted to breed Thelma with Odin or Thor, but the timing was off and pregnancy never occurred. Because Thelma was aging past her prime breeding years and the Zoo remained interested in breeding North American River otters, Zoo curator Marilyn McBirney sought a younger female to introduce to the family of otters currently on site. McBirney would find this youngster soon enough.
Freyja |
Freyja’s arrival at the refuge coincided with a request that Curator McBirney had submitted to the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) Otter SSP (Species Survival Plan), publicizing Pueblo Zoo’s desire for a young female otter if one became available. The fate of Freyja, the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge and Pueblo Zoo were to be forever entwined from this point. Freyja was soon sent to join the three other otters at Pueblo Zoo.
Generally, two female North American River otters do not co-habitate well and the Zoo staff was prepared for the idea that Thelma and Freyja may need to live separate lives. Additionally, there were concerns about jealousy between “the boys” over breeding opportunities and with Freyja entering the close-knit relationship between Thelma, Thor and Odin. The introduction of Freyja to Thelma, however, went more smoothly than the staff could have dreamed. Thelma took to Freyja almost immediately, and according to Pococke, “within twenty minutes, everyone was together” acting as if they had been reintroduced to long lost family members.
Happily Swimming Along |
Thelma and Freyja awaiting "Go Fish" |
In addition to the training necessary for medical exams, Pococke is training to develop and maintain the otters’ natural behavior. One method she employs she likes to call “Go fish”, and her star pupils are the two females. As the name would indicate, Pococke throws pieces of fish far out into the pool and tells the otters to “Go fish”. They race across the enclosure diving into the water to seek their reward, then race back to Pococke knowing another reward awaits them for returning to the initial spot.
Pococke has even found that she can combine feeding and enrichment through food choice. A favorite of the otters is corn-on-the-cob. Once they’ve finished clearing the kernels off the tubular snacks, the floating cob becomes a fun toy in the pool. Another fun food/enrichment combination is bananas, which pushes the otters’ natural puzzle-solving skills to remove the peel before consuming the white flesh. For the main portion of their diet, they are fed capelin, smelt, herring, squid and, at times, freshwater mussels, oysters and shrimp.
Freyja with Corn-on-the-Cob |
The Pueblo Zoo – with its river otters, eagles, penguins, red pandas, African lions, red kangaroos, swift foxes, bobcats and Canadian lynx to name just a few – is well worth a visit. Pococke, who has been on staff for more than 20 years, considers the Zoo her home away from home. She and all staff members have a “true devotion to the animals” and that, after all, is what is most important and makes it a special place to visit.
The Zoo is open year-round, closed only on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. It closes at noon on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. See below map for otter exhibit location (circled) in relation to entrance (starred). For more information, visit www.pueblozoo.org.
Otter News extends its sincere appreciation to The Pueblo Zoo, Zookeeper Melanie Pococke and Curator Marilyn McBirney for their assistance and behind the scenes tour of the North American River otter exhibit.
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