Cincinnati Zoo welcomes Southern sea otters for the first time

CINCINNATI —

The Cincinnati Zoo is welcoming a new species of otters for the first time.

On Tuesday, the zoo announced that Southern sea otters Chloe and Kevin had arrived and can be seen by the public. Advertisement

The Cincinnati Zoo was already home to two other otter species - Asian small-clawed otters and North American river otters – but not the Southern sea otter.

“Chloe and Kevin arrived from another accredited AZA facility late yesterday afternoon and did so well in their indoor space that we decided to go ahead and fast track the outdoor exploration!” said Cincinnati Zoo curator of mammals Kim Scott. “They went right out and played in the waterfall and did flips in the deep end. This new habitat gives visitors lots of opportunities to view the otters, both from above and bel