Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, bid farewell to one of its beloved river otters, Nova, on Oct. 1, following complications from a suspected blood clot during a dental procedure. She was 12 years old.
“Nova will be greatly missed by all who knew her,” said Christie Tipton, animal habitats curator for Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, “from staff to guests alike, but most of all by her keepers and her best friend, Oscar.”
Nova arrived at Grandfather Mountain on Aug. 31, 2013, when she was only six months old. It is believed that during heavy rainstorms, the young pup was flooded out of her den and swept away from her mother.
She was taken to a rehabber in Lincoln County, who had cared for otters in similar situations. In fact, this was the same rehabber who cared for Oscar and Uno – the mountain’s two remaining resident otters. This rehabber gladly took on the role of Nova’s adoptive mother, leading her through otter training camp, where she learned how to swim, explore, eat and play like an otter.
Unlike otters in the wild, Nova was very affectionate toward and fascinated by people. She enjoyed hanging out with visitors and swimming back and forth, chasing those who would visit the underwater otter habitat.
She also had the healthiest appetites of the three otters at Grandfather and would get very excited about mealtimes. She was known to run around and make rasping vocalizations at the sight of a keeper with a bowl in hand.
“She was a little bright ray of sunshine who was so full of energy,” said Tipton. “She loved bounding from one game to the next, her favorites being pushing her toy cups around, swim races with guests and keepers on the other side of the viewing pond, dragging everything into her pond, making big messes for her keepers to clean up and most of all, playing with Oscar.”
She shared her habitat with Oscar, whom she loved dearly. The two could often be found playing exciting games that habitat staff named water wrestling, extreme otter floating and otter racing.
In Memoriam
For those looking to honor Nova’s legacy, donations can be made in her memory to the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. Those gifts will aid in the care of its resident animals, all of whom were either orphaned or injured in the wild or born into captivity before arriving at Grandfather, thus unfit for release into the wild.
To contribute, visit www.grandfather.com/donate.
The animals also have an Amazon.com wish list, featuring food, toys and supplies. Donors can choose a gift for their favorite animal, purchase it online and have it delivered straight to Grandfather Mountain for immediate enjoyment by their furry or feathered friends. The list of suggested items is available at www.bit.ly/GMAmazonWishlist.
The nonprofit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation strives to inspire conservation of the natural world through education, exploration and example. For more information, visit www.grandfather.com.
Nova River Otter_Photo Courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation
