Tucker

Tucker was born on 27 March 2017 and is known for approaching training sessions with considerable enthusiasm — particularly with keepers he knows well.

Around unfamiliar people, however, he tends to test boundaries first, carefully observing reactions before deciding how cooperative he intends to be.

His keepers describe him as highly intelligent, inquisitive, and more than capable of recognising exactly which rules are flexible, and which are not.

Tucker regularly uses the slide in his habitat, launching himself into the water with impressive confidence. Curiously, he almost always chooses to climb back up directly via the slide itself rather than using the nearby stairs provided for that exact purpose.

At the end of the day, however, this same determined otter can usually be found asleep in a tightly packed pile with his sisters — a reminder that Asian small-clawed otters are highly social animals, regardless of how independent they may appear during daylight hours.

One of Tucker’s major training milestones involved voluntarily remaining still during tail desensitisation work to support future blood collection procedures. This behaviour was achieved gradually through months of positive reinforcement training and allows veterinary procedures to be conducted with reduced stress.

Guests may also see Tucker participating in presentations involving recycling and environmental awareness — roles he performs with notable confidence, particularly when food rewards are available shortly afterwards.

The presence of otters in the wild is an indication of thriving ecosystems.  Increasingly, wild otter families have to navigate through urban waterways, threatened by pollution. Human-wildlife conflict also intensified in their range countries, including Singapore.

Tucker gives guests a face for a species that is fighting to hold its ground, and a personality that makes you want to hold it with them.