The people have spoken! Names for NC's newest otter pups decided
The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher announced Friday they have selected the names for a trio of otter pups at the aquarium.
The otter pups, one female and two males, were born Jan. 31. They've developed individual personalities and were in need of names, which the aquarium held a public vote for.
The female otter pup was named Gemma, while the male pups were named Kai and Ren.
According to the aquarium, The trio of names received over 7,000 votes online.
All of the name recommendations came from Aquarium volunteers and honored the pups' native habitats of Indonesia, the Philipines, southeast Asia, southern China and southern India.
There were a total of five trios of names, which were voted upon between Monday and Friday at noon:
- Trio 1: Mazu, Indus and Lu
- Trio 2: Gemma, Kai and Ren
- Trio 3: Tala, Alon and Bayani
- Trio 4: Rani, Lei and Aki
- Trio 5: Li, Ryu and Bo
Asian small-clawed otters are the smallest of all otter species and are currently listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Endangered Species.
The population of Asian small-clawed otters has declined due to numerous threats, including residential and commercial development, illegal pet trade and poaching.
“Our hope is that by discovering more about Asian small-clawed otters, our community will both celebrate how special they are and take individual actions to prioritize their conservation,” Shannon Anderson, an otter keeper at NCAFF.
The aquarium said the pups will remain behind the scenes with their parents, Leia and Quincy, and their sisters, Stella, Mae and Selene.
People can keep up with the growth of the otters and find out when they will make their public debut on NCAFF's social media pages and YoutTube channel. Tickets will be required to visit the pups in the habitat once they are available for public viewing.
