CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The animal care staff at Brookfield Zoo are getting to bond with one of the latest additions at the zoo.
A male North American river otter pup was born at the zoo on Feb. 26. Soon after his birth, the pup's mom, Charlotte, was not accepting him as her own, resulting in the pup not being provided proper nourishment.
"Due to the amount of time that Charlotte has been separated from the pup, it is unlikely that she would accept him back as her own," the zoo said in a statement.
According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, "the otter population in Illinois was once in jeopardy with an estimate of fewer than 100 individuals in the late 1980s. Thanks to a very successful recovery program that included relocating otters from Louisiana to southern Illinois as well as expanding populations in neighboring states, otters are now common and found in every county in the state," the zoo said.