Pups add to wildlife park’s impressive otter collection

Seven otter pups have opened their eyes to a new world at Wingham wildlife park.

The latest arrivals have added to the park’s collection of smooth-coated otters – the largest in Europe.

They were each given a dunk in a pond by mum Pong after their birth on March 16.

The litter was Pong’s second, with the first sent to other zoos in the UK, France and the Czech Republic.

Although the pups have opened their eyes, it will be a while before they start venturing outside. Their father – nine year-old Bob – has been at Wingham since 2013.

Park owner Tony Binskin said: “Baby otters are definitely some of the most interesting animals in the whole park.

“It is always a very tense moment when mum first teaches the babies about the water, and she picks them up, one by one, and dunks them in the pond.

“It has been a couple of years since we last had baby otters, so this was a really nice sight to see.

“Even though there’s quite a few mouths to feed, we know from past experience that Pong is a great mum.”

Pictures: Chris Davey FM4746589/FM4746564 Artist Colette Baumback and her volunteers with the mural, and how the underpass between the Tannery and Westgate Parks used to look, left

Wingham Wildlife Park head of carnivores Hollie Wetherill and an otter pup