AquaZoo celebrates Year of the Otter with lecture by Aqualutra founder

AquaZoo will soon be all about the otter again. The zoo near Leeuwarden began in 1994 as Otterpark Aqualutra, and initiator Addy de Jongh will give a lecture on the return of the otter to the Netherlands on Sept. 15.

The European otter was extinct in the Netherlands in 1988 due to hunting, pollution, collisions and loss of habitat. In 2002, the species was reintroduced to the Weerribben-Wieden National Park. And with success: the otters have spread through the Netherlands and there are currently about 450 otters living in the wild.

Traffic casualtyTo celebrate this success, but also to reflect on remaining challenges, 2021 has been declared the Year of the Otter by CaLutra, the Otter and Beaver Working Group of the Mammalian Society. Part of this year includes various activities, particularly focused on monitoring and solving bottlenecks and education. The lecture at Aquazoo is part of this.

In fact, in addition to population growth, there are other goals the association hopes to achieve, such as good quality habitat with healthy fish stocks and adequate cover such as reed beds. More safe crossings are also needed: over a hundred otters die each year as a result of collisions.

Otter CenterThe otter center opened in 1994 on the site of AquaZoo aimed to prepare for the return of the otter to the Frisian countryside. In 2003, a year after the otter's reintroduction to the Netherlands, the center was transformed into a full-fledged zoo. However, the link with its origins has never completely disappeared: even today otters can still be seen in the park, namely the giant otter and the Asian clay otter, the largest and smallest freshwater otter species, respectively.

AquaZoo is also still committed to preserving local and regional nature. For example, the zoo has aquariums with animals from the Wadden Sea, which aim to teach visitors more about this nature reserve. The park also cooperates with the Fugelhelling, which takes in and reintroduces native animals.

Stichting WildlifeAddy de Jongh's lecture on Sept. 15 will begin at 7:30 p.m. The cost is 2.50 per person, payable in cash (includes coffee or tea). All proceeds go to Stichting Wildlife, which supports various animal and nature projects, including the Fugelhelling. Pre-registration is required and can be done at e-mail address: evenementen@aquazoo.nl.