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
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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.



American Climber Dies on World's Fifth-highest Peak in Nepal

01 May 2025, Nepal, Kathmandu: A domestic aircraft descends over the Kathmandu Valley as snow-capped mountain ranges appear faintly in the distance under a rain-laden sky. Photo: Safal Prakash Shrestha/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
01 May 2025, Nepal, Kathmandu: A domestic aircraft descends over the Kathmandu Valley as snow-capped mountain ranges appear faintly in the distance under a rain-laden sky. Photo: Safal Prakash Shrestha/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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American Climber Dies on World's Fifth-highest Peak in Nepal

01 May 2025, Nepal, Kathmandu: A domestic aircraft descends over the Kathmandu Valley as snow-capped mountain ranges appear faintly in the distance under a rain-laden sky. Photo: Safal Prakash Shrestha/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
01 May 2025, Nepal, Kathmandu: A domestic aircraft descends over the Kathmandu Valley as snow-capped mountain ranges appear faintly in the distance under a rain-laden sky. Photo: Safal Prakash Shrestha/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

An American mountaineer died on Mount Makalu in eastern Nepal during a climb to raise funds for a children's cancer program, officials said on Tuesday, the second death in the Himalayan nation's climbing season that began in March.
The world's fifth-highest mountain, Makalu's peak is 8,463 m (28,000 ft) high, compared to Mount Everest, the tallest peak, at a height of 8,849 m (29,032 ft).
Alexander Pancoe, 39, died on Sunday while settling into his sleeping bag at the mountain's second high camp, after returning from an acclimatization trip at the higher camp three, Reuters quoted expedition organizer Madison Mountaineering as saying.
"Alex suddenly became unresponsive," the company said on its website. "Despite hours of resuscitation efforts ... they were unable to revive him."
Nepal's tourism department said it was arranging to bring the body to Kathmandu, the capital.
Pancoe, who survived a brain tumor when younger, had completed the Explorer's Grand Slam - climbing the highest peaks on each of the seven continents and then skiing to both the North and South Poles.
He had been battling chronic myeloid leukemia and was attempting to climb Makalu to raise funds for the pediatric blood cancer program of the Chicago-based Lurie Children's Hospital, said expedition leader Garrett Madison.
He had already raised $1 million to help fund clinical trials and other programs there, Madison added.
In April, a Nepali sherpa died on Mount Annapurna, the world's 10th highest mountain.
Wedged between India and China, landlocked Nepal is home to eight of the world's 14 highest peaks, including Mount Everest, and its economy is heavily reliant on climbing, trekking, and tourism for foreign exchange.