SALISBURY, MD - The Salisbury Zoo announced Tuesday their 17-year-old river otter, Peanut, has died.
The Zoo says Peanut was diagnosed with congestive heart failure earlier in the year and had a recent sudden decline in health. Zoo staff decided on September 20th to ensure Peanut’s quality of life did not suffer and humanely euthanized her.
17 is considered geriatric for a river otter, according to the Zoo. Their average lifespan in the wild is 8 to 9 years.
Peanut was brought to the Zoo in 2006 from New Orleans along with her sister Pecan after the two had been orphaned by Hurricane Katrina. Pecan was later transferred from Salisbury in 2011, and the Zoo then welcomed a male otter named Shiloh to live with Peanut.
Peanut and Shiloh were together until January of 2022 when Shiloh died at 18, the Zoo says.
“The Salisbury Zoo’s top priority is the animals’ wellbeing,” the Salisbury Zoo said in a statement. “Every animal in the collection has proactive routine welfare assessments, in addition to reactive assessments that are done after a large life change. In the unfortunate event that an animal's wellbeing seems to be rapidly declining, staff will start monitoring an animal's quality of life, which involves more frequent assessments with a strong focus on the animal’s physical and mental health.”
The Zoo says they are creating a five-year plan including a new North American river otter exhibit.