Escaped Otter is Home Safe but US Zoo Says her Pal is Still on the Loose

  The two North American river otters escaped two weeks ago from the NEW Zoo & Adventure Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Reuters
The two North American river otters escaped two weeks ago from the NEW Zoo & Adventure Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Reuters
TT
20

Escaped Otter is Home Safe but US Zoo Says her Pal is Still on the Loose

  The two North American river otters escaped two weeks ago from the NEW Zoo & Adventure Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Reuters
The two North American river otters escaped two weeks ago from the NEW Zoo & Adventure Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Reuters

Ophelia the escaped zoo otter is back home but Louie remains elusive — perhaps in search of a mate.
The two North American river otters escaped two weeks ago from the NEW Zoo & Adventure Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Ophelia was captured Friday night, the zoo said in a Facebook post.
Her return was kept under wraps until Tuesday while she was held for observation. A veterinarian’s examination Monday cleared her for return to her enclosure, The Associated Press reported.
However, she “may not always be visible to guests,” the zoo said. “Ophelia has always been a bit shy and enjoys tucking into things to take naps throughout the day.”
The mammals escaped through a hole in a fence during a snowstorm.
Louie remains on the lam. “This is otter breeding season and we expect that, as a male otter, Louie is likely ranging a bit further from home than Ophelia did.”
It's unlikely Louie is too far away, the zoo said. Otters are territorial creatures.
He's undoubtedly safe — otters are native to the area — and poses no harm to humans.
The zoo has had help from a tracker, motion-activated cameras and reports from residents who see the critters, particularly those who are able to take photos or video of the animal.



Whale Dies after Collision with Small Boat off New Jersey Shore

A humpback whale breaches the surface off the southern Japanese island of Okinawa February 13, 2007. REUTERS/Issei Kato
A humpback whale breaches the surface off the southern Japanese island of Okinawa February 13, 2007. REUTERS/Issei Kato
TT
20

Whale Dies after Collision with Small Boat off New Jersey Shore

A humpback whale breaches the surface off the southern Japanese island of Okinawa February 13, 2007. REUTERS/Issei Kato
A humpback whale breaches the surface off the southern Japanese island of Okinawa February 13, 2007. REUTERS/Issei Kato

A minke whale died off the New Jersey shore after a collision that nearly tipped over a small boat and threw a person overboard.

Social media video of the collision in Barnegat Bay on Saturday afternoon shows the motor boat rocking after the impact and the 20-foot (6-meter) whale splashing near the craft before swimming away. The person thrown overboard manages to tread water next to the boat, The AP news reported.

The whale was found dead after it came to rest on a sandbar in shallow water. Marine authorities were not able to get close to the whale due to tidal conditions, according to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, a not-for-profit rescue, rehabilitation and release organization.

“At this point, we really don’t have much to go on,” Jay Pagel, stranding coordinator at the center, said Sunday. “The side of the animal that we were able to observe had no obvious marks on it that we could see. But again, our visibility was very limited.”

Pagel said there were reports the whale had injuries prior to the collision captured on video. He noted there was a second video posted online that appears to show the whale making contact with a pontoon boat after the initial collision.

The animal will be towed to a state park on Monday morning for a necropsy to determine the cause of death.