Rare baby otters begin swimming lessons at Chester Zoo

Three giant otter pups have started learning how to swim at Chester Zoo.

Born to first-time parents Bonita and Manu, the adorable triplets have remained tucked away in their den for the first few weeks of life. 

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 mum 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 - with the incredible moment caught on camera.

Zookeepers have revealed the names of the rare triplets, made up of two boys and one girl, naming the two boys Uca and Yali after a region of the Amazon rainforest and the second largest region in Peru, Ucayali. 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. But now, at 15 weeks old, they’ve reached the age where they naturally start entering the water and learning to swim – with a little gentle encouragement from mum and dad.  

“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. In the wild, where they are one of the apex predators in the Amazon’s river systems, 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 has largely been driven by 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 giant otter pups have been born as part of the international conservation breeding programme in European zoos that’s working to safeguard giant otters from extinction. 

Giant otter facts:

The giant otter triplets were born on 9 February 2026 and have remained tucked away in their den for several weeks. 

Pictured - Three rare giant otter pups, born at Chester Zoo, have started having their very first swimming lessons.