Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo welcomed an adorable 1-year-old North American river otter named Mystie this week.
Mystie was brought to the Lincoln Park Zoo on a recommendation by North American River Otter Species Survival Plan, a collaborative population management effort within the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a spokesperson for the zoo said in a statement.
At just 1-year-old, Mystie is considered an adolescent river otter. Once she turns 2 years old, she’ll have reached full maturity.
She joined 7-year-old Tucker, a fellow North American river otter, at the Lincoln Park Zoo’s Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo. The two will be “companion animals,” a zoo spokesperson said, and there are currently no plans for a breeding recommendation.
“North American river otters are full of energy, and Mystie is no exception. This is a playful species, and we’ve already seen her utilizing all the landscape and water features at Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo,” said Curator Dan Boehm. “We’re excited to see how Mystie finds new ways to have fun in her habitat and exhibit play behaviors with Tucker as they continue to get to know each other.”
Both Mystie and Tucker can now be seen at the zoo, both swimming and scampering around their habitat at Lincoln Park Zoo.
