Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, is welcoming a new member to its river otter habitat: Fig, an 18-month-old river otter who enjoys socializing with her new otter friend, Oscar, and her keepers.
Fig arrived at Grandfather in the spring of 2026 with the hope of Stewardship Foundation habitat staff being that she would serve as a companion for Oscar. Oscar, who arrived at Grandfather in August 2014, was extremely attached to his previous habitat companion at Grandfather, Nova the river otter. Nova passed away at the age of 12 on Oct. 1, 2025, following complications from a suspected blood clot during a dental procedure.
After months of going through the mountain’s quarantine and introduction processes with Oscar, Fig went on display in the otter habitat this week. She is part of a special loan program through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, meaning that Fig is being hosted by Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation for the foreseeable future. Programs like this allow for specialized habitat research, the optimization of social groupings, species survival planning, veterinary expertise and much more. Fig was born in February 2025 at the Long Island Aquarium.
Loans between zoos, aquariums and other centers are common through formal frameworks like species survival plans. Otters at Grandfather Mountain have typically come from licensed wildlife rehabilitators, but when no otters were available in the timeframe that staff were looking for a companion for Oscar, they reached out to a facility that was looking for placement for some young otters they had in their care.
“Fig has easily found her way into all of our hearts,” said Christie Tipton, animal habitats curator for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. “For the first few weeks after Fig went through the quarantine phase, we worked to ensure that Oscar and Fig had a comfortable adjustment period with one another. They became fast friends and now enjoy running around together and taking long naps in their cozy bed after lunch.”
Fig and Oscar enjoy playing together in the water and, of course, playing chase. River otters are playful by nature and can often be seen playing in the wild.
Fig also loves to play chase with her keepers at the fence, and she tried to befriend all of the animals who lived close to her habitat during her quarantine and introduction phases. She has proven to be very kind, curious and playful – occupying herself with novel items and exploring the world around her with all her senses. Her favorite enrichments, which are special treats, new toys or unfamiliar scents given to animals to break up their routines, include pool items to swim with and ice to crunch on. Fig has been keeping her keepers on their toes as they try to come up with exciting enrichments for her.
Fig and Oscar are currently on display at the nature park’s otter habitat. Guests wanting to learn even more about river otters should attend a Keeper Talk, offered daily from now through November 8. Keeper Talks about the mountain’s resident river otters take place at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. at the otter habitat. This is a great opportunity to learn more about animals and see them receive an enrichment from one of the mountain’s keepers.
Grandfather Mountain is also home to Uno the river otter, who will take turns being in the otter habitat with Fig and Oscar. When not on display, Uno will be in another habitat in a behind-the-scenes area.
The Mildred the Bear Environmental Habitats at Grandfather Mountain offer the chance to see black bears, river otters, cougars, elk and eagles. All of the species in the habitats are, or once were, native to the area and have been placed in Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation’s care for various reasons that prevent them from surviving on their own in nature. Environmental habitats are large enclosures that allow visitors to see animals in natural settings. Learn more about that mountain’s habitats and animals at www.grandfather.com/visit/things-to-do/wildlife-habitats.
Those interested in helping Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation enrich the lives of the animals in the wildlife habitats, should consider the foundation’s Adopt-an-Animal program. Funds from this program have gone toward upgrades to habitats in the past, as well as the purchasing of treats, toys and enrichments. Each resident animal is available to adopt at different levels, including Fig, the mountain’s newest otter.
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.