You Can Swim With Tiny Otters At This Animal Preserve & It’s Peak Cuteness!

You’ve heard of people cuddling with Meerkats, swimming with Elephants in the wild, and even swimming with pigs in The Bahamas.

Well, now you can swim with tiny otters and we don’t think we’ve ever witnessed something so adorable!

Barn Hill Preserve in Ethel, Louisiana (U.S.A.) has a new swim experience at their animal preserve, with their President/CEO, John Lion, explaining, “The swim experience includes a tour of the preserve which includes African servals, red kangaroos, and a climate-controlled sloth exhibit.”

These gorgeous Asian small-clawed otters are the smallest of the otter species around the world and, due to hunting, pollution, and habitat loss, they are currently categorised as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. 

The experience lasts for about an hour and you must sign a waiver and be 16 or older to participate.

John further explained, “Guests enter the pool, and the otters are introduced for playtime. 

“If they want to play with enrichment toys on the deck, that’s their choice. Our otters are never forced to do anything, the entire experience is completely positive.”

In order to ensure that the swim is a positive experience for the animals, numbers and sessions are very limited.

“A typical day for an Asian otter at the preserve includes waking up to the smell of a fish and shrimp breakfast. 

“Taking a morning swim, grooming one another to dry off, taking a mid-day nap, chasing insects that fly into the exhibit, and taking more naps. 

“Our otters on exhibit have a large behind the scenes privacy house that allows them to enter any time they aren’t feeling social.”

The preserve works to educate the public and aid in the rehabilitation of such species, while also supporting many animal charities and foundations across the globe. 

You can find out more about the preserve HERE. barn hill preserve 

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