The two new otters will stay separate from the older otters while they adjust to their new home and each other. They will all be in the same room behind the scenes, separated by plexiglass. During the adjustment period, the four otters will hear, smell, and see each other, but won’t be able to interact with each other at first.
Slowly the otters will be introduced to each other behind the scenes and then together in their public-facing habitat. Otter introductions can take anywhere from one week to several months as the Aquarium animal care team follows certain steps during the process.
During the process, guests will be able to see Pee Dee and Rocky occasionally and will initially only see two otters at a time in the North American River Otter habitat.
“We're thrilled that our older otters will have two new otter brothers to add to their romp, which is the name for a group of otters. Our otters help us tell the conservation stories of other otter species that are more threatened than river otters,” said Elizabeth Baird, Aquarium Director.