Three recently orphaned North American river otter pups have joined together as  a group at the North Carolina Zoo to prepare for their eventual release back in the wild. 

The North Carolina Zoo’s Valerie H. Schindler Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is caring for the pups, estimated to be 12 to 18 weeks old. They will eventually be released back into the wild as a group.   

All three otters are ideal candidates for rehabilitation and release as they were recently rescued without excessive human contact.  

Dr. Jb Minter, the Zoo’s Director of Animal Health, said they were in good physical condition with no apparent signs of injury or illness.  

“We are caring for them as hands-off as possible because we want to preserve their natural behaviors to ensure they have a better chance of surviving in the wild,” Dr. Minter said. 

Releasing them as a group can also boost their chance of success, said Halley Buckanoff, the Wildlife Center’s veterinarian technician. 

“Creating these foster families allows them to socialize with their species, and the younger ones often learn from their older ‘siblings,’” Buckanoff said. “Right now, they’re sleeping together, eating alongside each other with no signs of competition, and swimming together. They’re doing great as a group.”

How the otters were found 

The first otter was rescued in a parking lot in Raeford in Hoke County on May 2 by A Wild Life: Center for Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release. The female otter is estimated to be 14 to 16 weeks old. She arrived at the Zoo on May 12.

The second and third otters, both males, were rescued by Outer Banks Wildlife Shelter (OWLS) in Newport in Carteret County. Both otters arrived on May 13 at the Zoo.  

The second otter, around six weeks old, was found in the Peletier area on April 25 in the roadway after heavy rain. 

The third otter, about eight weeks old, was found April 27 near the Cedar Island Bridge. The body of its mother, who had been hit by a car, was found nearby.

Dr. Emily Christiansen, the Chief Veterinarian for the three North Carolina Aquariums, arranged for all three to be taken to the Zoo. 

Transitioning for release into the wild

At the rehabilitation center, the otters will transition from formula to solid food and catching fish on their own during the next several months. Their final stages of care will be in a safe, outdoor, aquatic enclosure where they can prepare for their return to the wild. 

Once ready, the Zoo will coordinate the otters’ release with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC). Their release back into the wild is expected to occur in late summer or early fall.

May 27 is recognized as World Otter Day.

The second named storm of 2020 has just officially been declared.

Less than a week after Tropical Storm Arthur disipated in the Atlantic Ocean, the National Weather Service has, this morning, declared the formation of Tropical Storm Bertha just off the coast of South Carolina near Charleston.

Bertha currently has sustained winds of 45 mph, which are expected to weaken over time.

All current model tracks show the storm barreling up South Carolina into North Carolina over the next 2 days:

The National Weather Service just issued the following alert this morning:

Special Tropical Weather Outlook
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
850 AM EDT Wed May 27 2020

For the North Atlantic...Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:

The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Tropical 
Storm Bertha located near the coast of South Carolina.

Here is current path the NWS projects for the storm:

NWS officials are reminding all residents in Atlantic Coast states to start preparing for the upcoming hurricane season.

In case of a power outage, make sure to have the following emergency items stocked in your home;

• Car charger for cell phones and other devices
• Clean drinking water (recommended 1 gallon per person per day, minimum three days)
• Flashlights 
• Batteries: Extra batteries for all of your devices
• Weather radio/clock
• Non-perishable food
• First aid kit

Just when you thought 2020 couldn’t get any worse, one of the largest broods of giant cicadas will soon emerge from the ground after a 17-year slumber.

According to Magicicada.org, the 17-year periodical cicada Brood IX will emerge in North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. It’s estimated that over 1 million creatures per acre will swarm our states beginning in late May and Early June (meaning Brood IX’s total numbers will likely reach several billion).

The flying insects spend most of their lives underground, in an immature “nymph” state, hibernating and slowly nibbling at plant roots with soil temperature and year synchronizing their transition to a ready-to-emerge mature cicada, ready to emerge, breed and lay eggs.

Once they hatch, they will flood the airwaves with a loud drone chirping sound that they use to find mates, after mating and laying their eggs, they will die withing a couple weeks.

With in-person learning threatened by COVID-19 and higher levels of education correlating with higher earnings, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2020’s Most & Least Educated Cities in America.

To determine where the most educated Americans are choosing to settle down, the site compared the 150 largest U.S. metropolitan statistical areas, or MSAs, across 11 key metrics. The data set ranges from the share of adults aged 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher to the racial education gap to the quality of the public-school system.

2 cities in North Carolina book-ended the results, with Durham, NC ranking as the 4th most educated city in America, and Hickory, NC ranking as the 6th least educated city in America. Charlotte ranked among the top half, coming it at number 54 on the report:

Most Educated Cities