Five Asian small-clawed otter pups born at the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher, growing the family to 10

Five Asian small-clawed otter pups, four males and one female, were born on 19 October at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, the aquarium said on 29 October. Their parents, Milli and Binx, now have a family of 10.

Three chirps, then five pups

Otter keeper Kristen Upton was watching the nest box that morning when she heard unfamiliar chirps from the behind-the-scenes den. What first sounded like three newborns turned out to be five. Each weighed about 82 to 91 grams at birth, roughly the weight of a medium lemon, and all are healthy and gaining weight.

“We were delighted when we first heard three distinct pup chirps coming from the nest—and even more thrilled when we discovered five healthy pups.” — Kristen Upton, otter keeper

Big siblings help out

It is the second litter for Milli and Binx, whose first three pups, Nyx, Bohdi and Baloo, were born on 5 December 2025. The older siblings bring food to Milli and help build the nest, skills they learned from Binx, and when both parents are away one of them often stays behind to watch the pups.

Milli, 8, came to Fort Fisher in January 2024 from Hong Kong, where she was born to parents that had been confiscated by the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. Binx, 6, joined her in fall 2024 from an Association of Zoos and Aquariums facility in Florida.

The smallest otter in the world

Asian small-clawed otters are the smallest otter species, native to parts of South and Southeast Asia. They are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with populations declining because of development, deforestation, the illegal pet trade and pollution, according to the aquarium. The pups are part of a conservation breeding program for the species.

For now, the family of 10 stays behind the scenes under close watch by the otter care team; the aquarium did not say when visitors will see the pups. Asian small-clawed otters were also among the 572 species recorded in a DNA survey of Curtin University's campuses.