May 29 is World Otter Day! Otters are fascinating animals – very playful, and extremely fun to watch.
Otters can be frequently found at zoos. Because they live on both land and water, otter exhibits normally include a stream or pool for them to play in. While most otter exhibits are outdoors, we have seen a few that are completely indoors.
Below is our list for top 5 otter exhibits. There was a lot of competition, as we’ve seen otters at least 20 zoos! Unlike most lists we’ve created, you won’t see the usual powerhouses like Omaha or Columbus in this list. Many smaller zoos have really good otter exhibits, which made this list pretty fun to put together. Criteria for our list included space for the otters (both land and water), cleanliness of the exhibit, viewing capabilities, and is subjective based on the behavior of the otters on the day of our visit.
5. Knoxville Zoo – At first glance, the murky water might make you think this exhibit isn’t very clean. But in reality, river otters spend a lot of time in murky water, so they feel right at home. This exhibit was one of the wider ones we have seen. It has plenty of land and water space, but because the water is so murky visibility is a little tough. So this exhibit ranks high for the otters, but lacks some visitor qualities.
4. Potawatomi Zoo – Like several on this list, the otter exhibit is one of the bigger attractions at this zoo. There is a nice area with benches under a canopy to view them, and the otters have plenty of space both in land and water. The nice things about this exhibit were that the water was very clear, making it easy to view the otters, and there was a very large window. The window enables you to see the otters, even if they’re not in the water.
3. Henry Vilas Zoo – Located in the middle of the zoo, the otter exhibit at Henry Vilas has multiple windows for visitors to view them. These otters have been very playful both times we’ve visited this zoo.
2. Milwaukee Zoo – This is the newest exhibit on our list, built in 2018. The biggest issue we have with this exhibit is the amount of visitors that flock to it make it very hard to see. However, this appears to be more in part due to the proximity to the new parking lot, as well as the exhibit only being about a year old and one of the zoo’s top attractions. There are multiple viewing windows to see them in the water, and a separate window to view them if they’re sleeping in their log. From the otter’s perspective this is a luxurious estate. The terrain is varied, giving the otters the opportunity to explore on land or play in the water. The curved design of the exhibit gives them more than just swimming back and forth in a straight line.
1.Minnesota Zoo – Minnesota is the clear winner here. They have exhibits for both Sea Otter (in Russia’s Grizzly Coast) and River Otter (in Minnesota Trail). The Sea Otter area is a very large size, with multiple otters. There’s even stadium seating for visitors to view them, and they do training demonstrations daily. In the Minnesota Trail, they have a River Otter exhibit with varied terrain and plenty of room for the otters.
Honorable Mention:
John Ball Zoo, Grand Rapids – they have a little island for the otters, but no underwater viewing
Phillips Park Zoo, Aurora – this tiny zoo has the otter exhibit as its main attraction; you’re able to see the otters from multiple sides…they just frequently go into their behind-the-scenes area
Miller Park Zoo, Bloomington – This is an above ground only exhibit. It gives you a great view of them splashing in the stream or resting on their logs
Brookfield Zoo – otters can be seen both in the Swamp and in the Ape house
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