DETROIT – The Detroit Zoo has announced that river otter “Whiskers” has died at the advanced age of 21.
The announcement occurred on Tuesday (March 5) through their Facebook page.
The zoo says Whiskers was loved by many, including people and otters alike.
The female otter was rescued as a baby in 2003 and found her home with the romp of otters at the Detroit Zoo in 2009.
Whiskers found the male otter “Lucious” shortly after her arrival. They became inseparable in 2012, and they became parents.
The couple became the first parents of the first river otter litter to be born at the zoo in 50 years.
Whiskers experienced a decline in the function of her hindlimbs as she aged, resulting in mobility issues and discomfort.
Her care team put significant effort into developing innovative ways to prolong her quality of life but ultimately came to the difficult decision to euthanize her humanely.