Otters escaped from Wisconsin zoo during snowstorm

Two otters named Louie and Ophelia are free after escaping from a zoo in Wisconsin. They made their escape during a snowstorm on March 20. The New Zoo & Adventure Park in Green Bay shared this news on Facebook. The otters found a small gap in their enclosure and managed to get out. Zookeepers quickly noticed their absence during morning rounds. Instead of running away, video footage shows the otters enjoying the snow, leaving their distinctive tracks behind. Officials thought the otters would not venture far and might even return by themselves. However, despite some reported sightings from the public, the otters have not been recaptured. The zoo has hired a professional tracker to assist in the search. Louie and Ophelia are native to Wisconsin and should be able to survive in the wild. They were born in the wild but had undergone rehabilitation before being kept at the zoo. The area around the zoo has natural ponds and food sources. The zoo is asking residents to report any sightings of the otters by sharing photos or videos on their Facebook page. In Wisconsin, there were about 11,000 North American river otters as of a 2016 survey.