We’re thrilled to announce the arrival of two new residents at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium! Sebastian (age 7) and Pintar (age 3.5), a pair of Asian small-clawed otters, can be seen exploring the rotating habitats within the Asian Forest Sanctuary. While they only recently met, they quickly formed a strong bond and are now practically inseparable.

Sebastian and Pintar are at the zoo as part of a breeding recommendation from the Species Survival Plan® (SSP), a sustainability initiative through the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA). While there’s no guarantee of pups just yet, the SSP pairing gives hope for the future of this vulnerable species.

“The pair has been successfully introduced and is adjusting smoothly to their new environment,” said Asian Forest Sanctuary curator Telena Welsh. “Both otters are thriving and becoming more comfortable by the day.”

Sebastian and Pintar will live as a pair and not share space with the zoo’s other small-clawed otter residents, Arista and Javin. Asian small-clawed otters are highly territorial and typically only live in groups consisting of a mated pair and their offspring. To maintain peace, keepers take great care to ensure the two pairs don’t interact with each other.

The smallest of the world’s 13 otter species, Asian small-clawed otters are native to southern India, China, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. They live in diverse freshwater and coastal habitats such as rivers, streams, marshes, mangrove swamps, and rice paddies. Their diet includes crustaceans, mollusks, small fish, and occasionally insects, reptiles, and amphibians.

Highly social and vocal, these otters communicate using at least 12 different vocalizations and chemical and tactile signals. Their populations are declining in the wild due to habitat loss and the illegal pet trade.