Otters and others zoo and conservation

05/25/2026

Tiny paws, curious faces, and lots of mischief — our raccoon kits are almost ready to move outside into their next big adventure! 🦝🖤

Right now, we have several kits in our care and only ONE of them has been sponsored. A huge thank you to Angie for sponsoring little Joan and helping support her care, enrichment, diet, and future here at the zoo.

Raising raccoon kits takes daily bottle feedings, cleaning, enrichment, socialization, veterinary care, and countless hours from our team. While everyone loves seeing the cute baby photos, the support behind the scenes is what truly makes rescues like this possible.

If you’ve ever fallen in love with those tiny masked faces and little grabby hands, please consider becoming a sponsor for one of our adorable bandits here at the zoo. Your sponsorship directly helps us continue giving these animals the care and second chance they deserve. 🖤

Message us to learn more about sponsoring a raccoon kit or any of our ambassador animals!

05/24/2026

Thank you always St Regis hotel for having us up to educate about our organization and animals this holiday weekend. Thank you to our team for going!

05/23/2026

Thank you Christine for all the wonderful donations. It all Helps our animals

05/22/2026

Our wolf pups are growing bigger and bigger every single day! 🐺❤️
And with that growth comes some BIG appetites. Right now, we care for 22 carnivores here at Otters and Others Zoo and Conservation, and feeding them is a full-time commitment.

We are currently accepting meat donations to help keep everyone healthy and fed. If you have old meat, freezer-burnt meat, wild game scraps, or unused meat sitting in your freezer, we would greatly appreciate your donation! Bones, organs, and trimmings are also often helpful for enrichment and nutrition.

Every donation helps support the daily care of our wolves, foxes, coyotes, raccoons, mink, and other carnivores who call the zoo home. 🦊🐺🦝

Donations can be dropped off by appointment. Thank you for helping us continue to care for these incredible animals every single day! ❤️

05/21/2026

When a USU researcher noticed that the creek in his hometown was drying up a lot sooner than it used to, he looked to one of nature's engineers for help.

It turns out that beavers have an almost uncanny ability to spread water around and keep it around longer. They do this through strategically building dams in rivers.

So Utah State University professor Joe Wheaton, along with this students, started building what he calls "starter dams" in areas experiencing fast runoff and early drought.

Then they brought in the beavers.

“We built, like, 25 fake dams to give them some choices,” Wheaton said. “They used all of them, rebuilt a bunch of them better than we could, and then they built another 250.”

Their work is featured in the PBS series "Shared Planet."

Full story: https://ksltv.com/?p=910855

📸: Utah State University
✍️🎤: Shelby Lofton, KSL
✍️: Simone Seikaly, KSL

05/20/2026

Every year, we receive a lot of attention for the adorable baby raccoons that come through our rescue program — and while those tiny faces melt hearts, rescue work doesn’t end when the babies grow up or when the “cute phase” is over. 🦝❤️

One of our favorite rescues has been Meeko.

Last year, Meeko was found by a family near the base of the University of Utah trailhead. He came to us completely paralyzed due to a severe spinal deformity. At the time, we didn’t know what his future would look like, but we knew he deserved a chance.

Day after day, through physical therapy, specialized care, patience, and a whole lot of determination, Meeko slowly began making progress. Today, he is mobile, active, and able to live socially with our other raccoons. Watching him explore, interact, and simply enjoy being a raccoon has been one of the most rewarding journeys we’ve experienced. 🖤

Animals like Meeko remind us that rescue is not just about saving babies. It’s about the lifelong commitment afterward — the therapies, medical care, enrichment, diets, cleaning, monitoring, and endless hours of support that continue every single day.

So today we just want to say thank you.

Thank you to our supporters, volunteers, donors, veterinarians, and team members who make stories like Meeko’s possible. Without you, animals like him would never get the second chance they deserve.

Because rescue doesn’t stop when the cameras stop rolling. It continues every single day. 🦝✨

05/20/2026

Meet one of North America’s most elusive predators — the American Mink 🖤🌿

Did you know American mink are native to Utah and play a very important role in wetland ecosystems? These semi-aquatic mammals are incredible swimmers and hunters, helping control populations of rodents, fish, frogs, and other small animals. Their presence is often a sign of a healthy wetland habitat.

Despite their small size, mink are fearless, intelligent, and highly adaptable. They can swim underwater, climb, squeeze into tiny spaces, and even hunt both on land and in water. Their thick fur helps keep them warm in cold environments, making them perfectly designed for life near rivers, marshes, and streams.

Unfortunately, wetland loss, pollution, and habitat destruction continue to impact native wildlife like the American mink. Wetlands are some of the most important ecosystems on our planet — filtering water, reducing floods, and providing homes for countless species.

At Otters and Others Zoo and Conservation, we love helping guests learn about lesser-known native species and why conservation matters for ALL animals — even the ones you may never notice hiding along the water’s edge. 🌎💚

Have you ever seen an American mink in the wild? 👀

05/20/2026

Look who is finally on exhibit and starting to explore his enclosure — meet Ciaro! 🐯 ✨

Ciaro has been busy checking out every corner, sniffing around, climbing, and getting comfortable in his new space. Watching animals gain confidence and begin exploring naturally is one of the best parts of what we do.

Be sure to keep an eye out for this curious little guy during your visit. As he settles in, you’ll likely see more of his playful personality come out each day! 💚

Every new habitat and journey takes time, patience, and a lot of care from our volunteers and supporters. Thank you for helping us continue to provide safe spaces and second chances for animals like Ciaro at Otters and Others Zoo and Conservation.

05/19/2026

We could not be more grateful for this upcoming fundraiser with Boo Paranormal! 👻🦝

And to show you that ghosts aren’t the only things that come out at night, we’ll have ambassador animals there for you to meet during the VIP experience.

Tickets are going quickly, so be sure to register soon!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boo-and-the-zoo-tickets-1988733254700?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

05/19/2026

We had a blast at the EKO Summer Launch Party this evening! Guests got to build their own animal habitats while learning what animals need to survive and thrive in the wild. It was amazing seeing so many great booths and organizations come together for such a fun and educational initiative for our state.

EKO passports are available for pick up at Otters and Others Zoo and Conservation, so be sure to stop by and grab yours!

Also don’t forget to sign up for our upcoming EKO event with Rocky Mountain Astronomy Tours for our Sun Survivors event. You won’t want to miss this exciting opportunity to learn about wildlife, conservation, and the wonders of our solar system!

05/18/2026