Slimbridge Wetland Centre becomes home to two otters

Two otters named Sam and Tilly have got a new home with a wetland conservation charity.

The Asian small-clawed otters, classed as a vulnerable species, have been introduced at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire.

Aged seven and eight, they arrived from New Forest Wildlife Park on 27 July and were released into their revamped exhibit on 29 July.

The Living Collections Team said they were "settling in really well".

The team added: "They love the pool and visitors can spot them underwater from air bubbles escaping from their waterproof coats.

"They have already been busy nest-building - they have started collecting natural material from their outdoor area - including buddleia - making their nest look very pretty."

The centre said visitors would be able to tell the otters apart by their whiskers, as Tilly's are longer than Sam's and she is also darker and slightly larger.

She is also the more dominant and confident of the pair, the centre said.

Asian small-clawed otters, the smallest species of their kind in Asia, are considered vulnerable because their homes are being lost to human activities and pollution.

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