Tilly, a river otter, came to the Oregon Zoo in 2009 as an injured and orphaned pup. She birthed four pups while at the zoo.

“Young river otters are extremely dependent on their mothers, and Tilly not only raised her own offspring but three other ...

This is a very sad time, especially for Tilly’s care staff,” said Jen Osburn Eliot with the Oregon Zoo, in a statement.

Once endangered due to excessive fur trapping in the 19th century, North American river otters are now thriving in healthy river systems and lakes in the Pacific Northwest. These social species ...

Although they used to be threatened by hunters wanting their fur, river otters are now living in the Pacific Northwest and in lakes where they feed, officials said. “This is a very sad time ...