WILMINGTON — Five Asian small-clawed otter pups — four males and one female — were born Monday, Oct. 19, at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher to otter parents Milli and Binx, bringing the aquarium’s otter family to 10.
The aquarium reports the new arrivals are healthy, gaining weight and bonding closely with their parents and three older siblings. The newborns weighed approximately 82 to 91 grams each at birth, roughly the weight of a medium lemon.
The otter care team had been closely monitoring Milli in anticipation of the births. On the morning of Oct. 19, otter keeper Kristen Upton was watching the pair’s nesting box when she began hearing unfamiliar chirps coming from the behind-the-scenes den. What initially sounded like three newborns turned out to be five.
“We were delighted when we first heard three distinct pup chirps coming from the nest — and even more thrilled when we discovered five healthy pups,” said Upton. “Now that we’ve been able to examine the pups, we’re excited to see that each one is gaining weight and the entire family is bonding well.”
This is the second litter for Milli and Binx, whose first three pups — Nyx, Bohdi, and Baloo — were born Dec. 5, 2025. The older siblings have been offering food to Milli and assisting with nest construction — skills they learned from Binx. When both parents are away from the nest, one of the siblings often remains behind to watch over the pups.
For now, the family of ten will remain behind the scenes under the close monitoring of the otter care team.
The five pups also represent an important addition to the conservation breeding program for a species facing declining populations in the wild.
Milli, 8, arrived at Fort Fisher in January 2024 from Hong Kong, where she was born to parents who were confiscated by the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. Binx, 6, joined her in fall 2024 from an Association of Zoos and Aquariums facility in Florida as a mate for Milli.
Asian small-clawed otters are the smallest otter species in the world, native to parts of South and Southeast Asia. They are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, with population numbers declining due to residential and commercial development, deforestation, the illegal pet trade, pollution, climate change and poaching.
While the Aquarium at Fort Fisher is closed for its renovation and expansion, the public can follow the growing otter family on the NCAFF social media platforms including Facebook, Threads and Instagram.
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