I used to run right by this area, the little Otter Grotto on the path toward Africa just past the Tree of Life, as I ran over to Pandora or Kilimanjaro Safaris. These days I could stand here and watch them all day and be happy.
These are Asian small-clawed otters, the smallest of all otter species. Unlike sea otters, these guys live mostly in freshwater rivers and streams, and they’re highly social, which makes them incredibly fun to watch. They play all day, vocalizing to each other with a wide range of little chirps and squeaks, and use their clever little hands to manipulate food and other parts of their environment.
Otters are famous for play, sliding down mudbanks, wrestling with each other, and generally treating life like recess. But don’t be fooled—all of this play is actually an important survival skill. It establishes and strengthens social bonds and hones their coordination for hunting. Much like you’d see in young puppies and kittens.
In Native American and Celtic folklore, otters are often symbols of joy, curiosity, and playfulness, reminding us to keep a sense of wonder when we look at the world…and maybe also that it’s not always all that serious. That there’s real value in joy. That it can be a survival skill, too.
I took this with my 100-400mm zoomed all the way to 400mm, 1/400 second, f/6.3, ISO 1600.