Otters in zoos are often crowd favorites whose playful behavior reflects genuine positive welfare when social housing, swimming access, and enrichment are provided appropriately.
Otter welfare in zoos is distinguished by the visibility of positive welfare indicators: playful otters rolling, sliding, and manipulating objects demonstrate that enrichment is working. This makes otters useful models for positive welfare assessment — the presence of play, not just absence of stereotypy, indicates genuine wellbeing. Social housing in appropriate family groups, extensive swimming access, and varied foraging enrichment together enable the natural activity patterns that positive welfare requires. The popularity of otters as exotic pets is a welfare concern — these are not suitable companion animals and their removal from wild populations causes population harm alongside individual welfare compromise.