Oriental small-clawed otter Aonyx cinereus

Animals in our sanctuary

Sopheary

Date of birth

31-05-2011

Date taken in

22-11-2011

Sopheary came from a bankrupt zoo in Germany.

Tuyen

Date of birth

31-10-2016

Date taken in

31-10-2016

Tuyen joined De Zonnegloed in 2016. There was no room for him anywhere else.

Where does he feel most at home?

These oriental small-clawed otters originate from Southeast Asia. The live in watery areas, but most of the time, you’ll find them on shore. They will dig their nest in the riverbank or will take over a deserted nest.

What's his favourite food?

These animals are real carnivores. They love crabs, shells, fish, waterfowl and frogs. To find their prey they’ll use their sensitive paws to dig in the mud and underneath stones.

Fun fact

When an oriental small-clawed otter dives in the water, you’ll see little air bubbles coming up. These come from between the hairs of their pelt. They have two layers of pelt with a layer of air in between. This is a natural isolation layer, so they can stay warm in cold water.