Musa celebrates his 14th birthday

Asian short-clawed otter Musa may be 14, but he's showing no signs of slowing down.

He's an incredibly active otter and has been a firm favourite with staff and visitors at Washington Wetland Centre for 12 years! To celebrate his 14th birthday, we wanted to shout about why we LOVE Musa!

• 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.

• 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.
• 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!

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

• 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.
• 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...

• 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!
• 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! (Pictured below from left - Buster, Mimi and Musa - by visitor Graham Jordan)

• 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.
• He just has the sweetest face. Musa is probably our most photographed otter. His bald lower lip helps him stand out and makes him easily identifiable. He is also the smallest out of our 3 otters, despite being the oldest - look out for him during your next visit!

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