Ophelia the escaped zoo otter is back home but Louie remains elusive โ perhaps in search of a mate.
The two North American river otters escaped two weeks ago from the NEW Zoo & Adventure Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Ophelia was captured Friday night, the zoo said in a Facebook post.
Her return was kept under wraps until Tuesday while she was held for observation. A veterinarianโs examination Monday cleared her for return to her enclosure.
However, she โmay not always be visible to guests,โ the zoo said. โOphelia has always been a bit shy and enjoys tucking into things to take naps throughout the day.โ
The mammals escaped through a hole in a fence during a snow storm.
Louie remains on the lam. โThis is otter breeding season and we expect that, as a male otter, Louie is likely ranging a bit further from home than Ophelia did.โ
It's unlikely Louie is too far away, the zoo said. Otters are territorial creatures.
He's undoubtedly safe โ otters are native to the area โ and poses no harm to humans.
The zoo has had help from a tracker, motion-activated cameras and reports from residents who see the critters, particularly those who are able to take photos or video of the animal.