An Oregon Zoo Otter Mom Is Getting Her Baby Summer-Ready with Some Serious Swim Lessons — Watch

Mo was born in late January and only took his first dip in April, with his mom’s help.

“So far, Tilly’s been an amazing teacher. It might look kind of scary to a casual observer, but it’s a very natural behavior,” Van Beek told the outlet.

River otters are dependent on their mothers when they’re born, and it can take up to five weeks for them to walk on their own and fully open their eyes.

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Mo, named after the Molalla River in northwest Oregon’s Clackamas County, is the first river otter to be born at the Oregon Zoo.

Both Tilly and the pup’s father, B.C., are rescue animals who had a rough start to life.

Tilly was found wounded, malnourished, and orphaned near Johnson Creek, Oregon, in mid-2009.

B.C. was found orphaned near Star City, Arkansas, in late 2009 and brought to Oregon Zoo as a companion for Tilly.

Due to extreme habitat destruction and water pollution, river otters are considered rare outside the Pacific Northwest, so Mo’s birth was significant to the species.

source: people.com