WWT Martin Mere launch new otter enclosure

14th July 2009

WWT Martin Mere released two Asian Short-clawed otters at 10am on Tuesday 14 July 2009 into a brand new enclosure for the Centre. The otters, a male and female pair, have only been together in quarantine for three weeks and are already adapting to life together very well.

The male was born on 17 March 2006, making him 3 years old. He was born at Birmingham Nature Centre before going to Blue Planet Aquarium with his two brothers in April 2007. The female was born on 30 October 2001, making her 7 years old. She was born at Weymouth Sealife Centre before going to Gweek Seal Sanctuary in May 2002.

Their enclosure is in the oriental area of the wildlife gardens and has been carefully designed both on land and water to allow the otters to express their natural behaviour including areas for digging, grooming, climbing, foraging, bathing, swimming, resting and sleeping. Asian Short-clawed otters are the least aquatic of all the 13 species of otters and the enclosure has been designed to only allow areas of shallow water with an abundance of vegetation.

Andy Wooldridge, Centre Manager, said: “The otters should prove to be an excellent new attraction at the Centre. Over the past couple of years we have started to diversify more into wetland mammals with the release of the beavers in 2007, and otters are a natural progression as an aquatic species. Visitors will be able to come along and watch the otters play and feed throughout the summer.”

Asian Short-clawed otters have a very fast metabolism, it only takes 1 to 2 hours for food to pass through their bodies so they will need to be fed little and often, with 4 meals a day including a larger morning and afternoon feed with two smaller scatter feeds in between. Their diet is approximately 80% meat (mostly minced meat) and 20% fish (mostly non-oily). However they also need a small amount of fruit and vegetables (e.g. carrots, apples, tomatoes).

The otters are only 1 of the attractions over the summer holidays that will also include den building, pond dipping, wetland croquet, bug hunts, plastic duck races, family crafts and an indoor sand pit. Our Roundhouse Village, Mere Tun will also be open from 1 to 9 August and following weekends for visitors to live like a Viking and defend their village. Please refer to wwt.org.uk/martinmere for detailed information about when activities are on.

WWT Martin Mere is open every day from 9.30am to 5.30pm. Situated off the A59, it is signposted from the M61, M58 and M6. The Centre is also accessible via the Southport to Manchester and the Liverpool to Preston line by train from Burscough Rail Stations. Visit the web site to find out what’s on all year round at Martin Mere and the other eight centres.
 

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