Otters

Meet Obi-Wan and Olive, two adorable North American river otters that call the WNC Nature Center home. These playful creatures are found in a wide variety of aquatic habitats and can tolerate a great range of temperature and elevations. A river otter's main requirements are a steady food supply and easy access to a body of water.

Facts You Otter Know

• Life expectancy in zoos: 16 years
• Life expectancy in the wild: 8–10 years
• Otters can hold their breath over 6 minutes
• Otters can grow to be more than a meter long and weigh up to 14 pounds
• 80% of the river otter's diet is fish, crayfish and aquatic insects
• Otters are a member of the Mustelid family, which also includes skunks, weasels and minks
• North American river otters can dive down 60 feet. Special "nose plug" muscles close their nostrils while they are under water

See Them In Person

Want to visit Obi-Wan and Olive? Make plans to stop by the WNC Nature Center while in Asheville. You can see a variety of wildlife while at the park, including black bears, cougars, wolves, birds of prey and a host of amphibians and reptiles.