A year ago, two river otter pups were born at Brockville’s Aquatarium.
They were named Boldt and Lawrence, after the Boldt Castle and the St. Lawrence River. The two aquatic mamals were first introduced to the public last July.
“We’re like, ‘Where did the year go?’ We feel like we blinked and they’ve grown up,” said Jen Carter, senior aquarist at the Aquatariu. She has been overseeing the pups’ care since they were born.
Turning 1-year-old for a river otter is similar to the teenage years for humans, according to Carter. She also says that just like humans, the otters sometime have that quintessential teenage attitude.
“Out in the wild at about a year-old is when they start to leave their mom and go off on their own and do their own thing.”
People visiting the Aquatarium on Friday sang Happy Birthday to the Otters and celebrated with some cake.
Don’t worry, the otters weren’t left out — the team responsible for the animals made the pups a cake of their own.
“They took a lot of different foods like fish and fruits and vegetables anything they could think of. Even they’ve made a little sauce to go on top of the cake, just to make it something special for them today.”
By the time Boldt and Lawrence celebrate their second birthday, they will have grown to be adults, weighing between 20 and 25 pounds.