On Aug. 10, a giant river otter pup arrived at a Wildlife Reserves Singapore's (WRS) park, the first of its species to be born on the Asian continent, the Straits Times reports.
Photos of the baby giant otter were posted recently on Zooborns.com, showing the furry brown pup lying down on a blanket and being shown off to the camera by his handlers.
Giant river otters are among the world's most endangered species of otter, found primarily in South America's River Basin, making the 3.5 pound pup an exciting addition to the wildlife center.
Eventually the baby will grow to weigh 7.5 pounds and reach 6 feet in length. In the wild, giant river otters are ferocious predators that hunt piranha, anacondas and caimans, earning them the nickname "river wolves," according to Zooborns.com.
"With increasing threats such as habitat destruction and poaching, captive breeding programs play a pivotal role in conserving threatened species for our future generations," Dr. Cheng Wen-Haur, Chief Life Sciences Officer at Wildlife Reserves Singapore, said in a press release.
The giant otter pup is among the 400 baby animals born at WRS's four parks this year between Janaury and August, including the Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, River Safari and Singapore Zoo. Other animals born at the wildlife centers include the orangutan, manatee and Malayan tapir, all endangered and threatened species.
Giant otters are also endangered, as they are hunted exclusively for their fur, their natural habitat loss threatening their extinction. Breeding programs like those at WRS's parks hope to help maintain such special species.
Click here to see photos of the giant river otter pup that was born two months ago in Singapore.
