Zoo Miami is celebrating the birth of three North American river otter pups.

The Feb. 5 birth was the first for their mother, Zinnia, the zooB次元官网网址檚 communication director, Ron Magill, said in a news release. It was also the first birth of this species at the zoo.

The pups were born in a secluded den in the Florida: Mission Everglades exhibit and are being well cared for by their first-time mother, Magill said.

It is still too early to determine their genders, he said.

Zinnia arrived at Zoo Miami from the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island where she was born.

She and her pups will remain isolated behind the scenes to ensure they have minimal disturbances while they bond and grow.

The pupsB次元官网网址� father is 5-year-old Edison, who came to Zoo Miami in October 2016 after being rescued as an orphan and hand-raised by a group called Wild Florida, the news release said.

The father is separated from Zinnia and the pups, which is also the case in the wild, Magill said. Males do no participate in rearing the babies.

North American river otters are are found in a variety of fresh water habitats throughout much of the U.S. and Canada. They can grow up to 4 feet (1.2 metres) and typically weigh between 12 (5.4 kilograms) and 25 pounds (11.3 kilograms).

On Friday, February 5th, B次元官网网址淶innia,B次元官网网址� a 3 year old North American river otter gave birth to three pups at ! These are not only ZinniaB次元官网网址檚 first babies; it is the first birth of this species of otter at Zoo Miami! Welcome to the world, babies!

B次元官网网址� Zoo Miami (@zoomiami)

The Associated Press

Like us on and follow us on .

Want to support local journalism during the pandemic? Make a donation