Three's Company: How Tibiri, Acari, and Meamu became the park's happy otter trio

As you enter New Forest Wildlife Park you will see three giant otters and we wanted to introduce them to you, now they have been introduced together! 

Three lone females who each needed companionship have now formed their own little family group. Meet Tibiri, Acari, and Meamu, three individuals with distinct personalities who've come together in a way that's very important for giant otter welfare.

Why this matters

If you know anything about giant otter introductions, you'll know they're typically done between males and females. Introducing unrelated females (or males) together is not something that's commonly attempted. These introductions are delicate, gradual processes that cannot be rushed, they're led entirely by the behavioural cues the otters give us, and can take several months depending on the individuals involved.

There are more females than males in captivity, which means there may be lone females who desperately need company but don't have a suitable or available male companion. To support giant otter conservation and improve welfare within the captive breeding programme, we decided to try and introduce distantly related females together.

The success of this approach means we can reduce the number of solitary females in captivity, dramatically improving their welfare, while still keeping the door open for them to be introduced to suitable males in the future.

When one became two

On 6th August 2025, Tibiri arrived to join Acari as company. They resided in adjoining enclosures so they couldn't physically touch, but they could see each other and start getting acquainted.

Acari was extremely interested in her new neighbour. But as a young, playful otter, she could be fairly active and overwhelming. So we took our cue from Tibiri, giving her all the time she needed to adjust to Acari's exuberant personality.

After several days of positive visual interactions, we introduced a porch area where they could safely interact through fencing – close enough to touch, but with a safety barrier just in case.

The chemistry was there. Within 20 days of Tibiri's arrival, we gave both otters full access to each other's enclosures, and just like that, they were successfully introduced.

We quickly learned something important about their dynamic, Tibiri quite likes her personal space and Acari quite likes Tibiri's personal space too! But they worked it out beautifully.

And then there were three

Following the sad passing of mum Panambi, Meamu needed new companions. She was moved to the enclosure adjoining Tibiri and Acari, and we began the same careful introduction process.

Meamu was successfully introduced to the duo within just 11 days! The established pair seemed to make it easier as Meamu was joining an existing friendship, rather than forming one from scratch. 

Where are they now?

All three have settled together extraordinarily well. Their interactions are a joy to watch – each has maintained her own personality while forming genuine bonds with the others.

They are in our main on-show giant otter enclosure at the front of the park, which means you'll be able to see this remarkable trio for yourselves. Watch for Acari's playful antics, Tibiri's more reserved but affectionate nature, and the oldest of the three, Meamu who is a mix of both - affection and playfulness, fitting perfectly into the group dynamics.

This isn't just a feel-good story. It's proof that with patience, careful observation, and an animal-led approach it’s possible to reduce the number of lone females in captivity, improving their welfare, while still allowing the opportunity in the future for them to be introduced to a suitable male.

We couldn't be more proud of Tibiri, Acari, and Meamu. Three individuals, three personalities, one happy family.

Find out more about our Terrific Trio!

TIBIRI

• D.O.B - 28th March 2016

• Born at Singapore Zoo and moved to Chester zoo in Feb 2021

• Joined us on the 6th August 2025 to join Acari as company

• Tibiri is a laid back female who is slightly larger than any females we have had. She is quite a serious otter, who doesn’t really seem to like to play but does like to be involved and have company! When introduced to Acari, she was quite wary of Acari’s high energy and playful manor. But now enjoys watching Acari and Meamu play together and will often just lay a gentle paw on them while they play fight to show her involvement in the game.

ACARI

• D.O.B - 25th December 2023

• Born here at the NFWP

• Unfortunately was pushed out of her family group by her big sister Karanambu in April 2025. Due to the aggression towards Acari from Karanambu, she was moved into an off-show enclosure for her own welfare.

• Acari is a very young, playful and social otter, who often forgets to give other otters their own personal space.

MEAMU

• D.O.B - 29th March 2011

• Born at the Chestnut Centre

• Moved to the NFWP in Dec 2017 with mum Panambi

• Following the passing of mum Panambi, Meamu was moved off-show to be introduced to Acari and Tibiri.

• Meamu is the oldest of the three, but can be extremely playful and absolutely loves a good playfight. Although previously quite selfish with her food, since meeting Tibiri and Acari she has become quite affectionate, often offering her fish to ensure they both are happy and well fed!