According to CBS DFW, only 18 single otter pups have been born in zoos across the U.S. and of those, 76 percent have died. Daphne’s pup, Tasanee is the first female single pup to survive longer than 30 days.
Daphne was 12-years, 9-months old when her pup was born on January 25, 2014. The pup was named Tasanee, which means “beautiful view” in Thai. Dad Jimmy, 8, was born at the Dallas Zoo in 2006. Due to the survival rate for single otter pups being extremely poor, Tasanee needed more than 100 days of devoted care from her keepers according to the Zoo.
Little Tasanee was the size of a C battery at birth, barely weighing 2 ounces. (SO TINY.) Last week, she started playing in the zoo’s outdoor habitat for the first time.
According to the Dallas Zoo’s website, her dad Jimmy has been doing his part, too:
Asian small-clawed otters are monogamous and both parents play roles in rearing the young. While Daphne has been nursing Tasanee, Jimmy has been an excellent, very protective father. It’s his job to take food to both mom and pup, patrol the area and help teach the pup to swim. Tasanee has learned to vocalize, making loud chirps to communicate with her parents.
“Tasanee has a sassy survivor attitude,” said Linda King, mammal supervisor. “We are overjoyed to see her progress.” Yes, you read that correctly. She’s sassy.
In case you were wondering, yes this story is just an excuse to post an adorable otter video and revisit my fantasy about someday meeting a fairy who turns me into an otter so I can make friends with all the other otters and build a secret kingdom known as Otterlandia. Fine. You caught me.