Teaching Otters to Swim

VIDEO GOES VIRAL

Back on July 29, 2020 we shot a live video of Nathan Wagstaff and Mark, one of Critter Care's interns attempting to teach Otters to swim. To our great surprise hundreds of thousands of people have watched so far.  WATCH THE OTTERS LEARNING TO SWIM ON FACEBOOK - CLICK HERE


SWIMMING LESSONS

Up to the point the point when the video was shot the Otters were having  lessons in smaller pools. But it was time for them to be introduced to the big one.


River Otters are normally taught to swim by their mother who drags her babies into the water and holds them under the water. We took a much kinder approach, but you can see that the Otters are nervous. All of these Otters are orphaned and have been hand raised, by their dads in the water. 


UPDATE

All of the Otters are now swimming and are experts! After a few days of swimming lessons our babies are now swimming and playing together in the pool! A few of them are still unsure of the water, but we are confident all of them will be swimming with confidence soon. Take a look... WATCH THE OTTERS SWIMMING ON FACEBOOK - CLICK HERE

Critter Care Wildlife Society News

Raccoon close up
May 15, 2025
In July 2023, Critter Care Wildlife Society received two special arrivals — Monroe and Hepburn, two raccoons rescued from the movie industry. Unfortunately, their time in the spotlight wasn’t glamorous.
Three balck bears
May 15, 2025
As the winter snow finally melts away, our bears have begun to wake from their winter dormancy period. Unlike true hibernation, black bears enter a state called "torpor." Torpor is a period of deep lethargy where their metabolic rate, heart rate, and breathing rate slow down significantly.
Two bobcats
May 15, 2025
If you received our previous newsletters in the mail, you probably remember our two bobcat kittens, Teetonka and Kaya. These Mission-native sisters have completed their journey with us and have now been released back into the wild.
More Posts

Sign up to get inspiring stories of rescue,

rehabilitation and release from Critter Care

Be the first to receive our newsletter, new blog posts, and updates

about our most critical needs and community news.