13 reasons why we LOVE otter Musa on his birthday

As our otter dad Musa celebrates his 13th birthday, we take a look at why he's such a hit

Asian short-clawed otter, Musa celebrates his 13th birthday!

He's been a firm favourite with staff and visitors to Washington Wetland Centre for 11 years, but as he reaches his teenage milestone, we wanted to celebrate and share 13 reasons why we LOVE Musa!

1. He is the most polite otter! He gently asks for and takes any food we offer to him, waiting patiently and quietly for his turn.

2. He always goes into his travel crate on command. Our keepers do regular crate training with our otters which gets them used to it for when they need to visit the vets for health checks.

3. When Musa does go to the vets for his health check, he pops his hand through the bars to hold your finger as he falls asleep. It's not something we'd normally do with them being wild animals, but this small bit of interaction offers comfort to him during his vet check and lets face it, it's downright adorable!

4. He LOVES to juggle! He's regularly seen with pebbles, playfully passing them between his paws or running around with one tucked under his arm. Sometimes, he will just sit and proudly show off his favourite pebbled prize!

5. He always appreciates extra enrichment. Our team work hard to offer a good variety of activities to keep our otters entertained and busy. Whether it be ice cubes or mealworms, puzzle feeders or refreshed sand, Musa is always the first to explore new things!

6. He is the BEST dad! Having successfully raised 9 otter cubs alongside partner Mimi, Musa was a very hands-on dad, feeding the youngsters, cleaning the holt and teaching them how to swim!

7. He's very caring and attentive towards Mimi. He never fails to bring the romance by offering gifts and food, while respecting her boundaries. He's also a dab hand at 'housework', changing straw bedding and grooming her, reaffirming their bond. They also still enjoy a regular cuddle...

8. His favourite food is mince and boiled eggs - yum! He doesn't like food that is oily and will simply walk away from keepers if he isn't impressed with the menu.

9. He ALWAYS makes sure his family are well looked after and fed well. He is known for gifting food to Mimi and Buster and always makes sure they get food first. Now as an older gent, he tends to want an easy life, so he will always wait around for the last closer pieces of fish, while the others run after the first pieces.

10. He is very well trained! Our team do regular training with the otters using podiums which allows them to check their body condition, stomachs and paws much closer. Musa is always the first one on his podium and enjoys the interaction.

11. He is small but mighty. Musa is the smallest out of our 3 otters, despite being the oldest!

12. He enjoys a bath! During the colder months, we offer our otters a warm water tub to help them stay warm. Musa is particularly fond of them and you'll often find him sitting in it!

13. He just has the cutest little face…Musa is probably our most photographed otter (check out the below gorgeous photo by Alan Hewitt). His bald lower lip helps him stand out and makes him easily identifiable - look out for that during your next visit!

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