Beloved Giant Otter Brothers Die Days Apart at Providence Zoo

It has been a very sad week for zookeepers in the Faces of the Rainforest exhibit at Roger Williams Park Zoo.

Over the last several days, the staff is mourning the loss of both of the zoo's beloved giant river otters, Fernando and Romo.

These brothers had been living at Providence's zoo since the state-of-the-art rainforest building opened in 2018. Now just days apart, they have both passed, despite groundbreaking treatments to help them.

Giant river otters are considered an endangered animal, with only 2,000 to 5,000 left in the world. Sadly the population is now down with the passing of two river otter brothers at Roger Williams Park Zoo.

Meet Fernando and Romo: Zoo Favorites

Fernando and Romo came to Providence when they were 4 and 7 years old. They spent all of their adult years together at the zoo, sharing a massive tank and swimming playfully for guests almost every day.

READ MORE: Roger Williams Park Zoo Kicks Off Another Season of Holiday Lights

So perhaps it is no surprise that after Fernando died on December 2, Romo wasn't too far behind, passing on December 6.

Medical Efforts: Stem-Cell Therapy & Chemotherapy

For Fernando, the last few years had been spent dealing with pododermatitis, a painful inflammation of the skin and deeper tissues of the feet. The inflammation was controlled with medication for years and recently a ground breaking stem cell therapy was used and gave him an additional 11 months of comfort at the end of his life.

Sadly, when the condition recently worsened, zoo staff made the compassionate decision to euthanize Fernando. He was 11-years-old, geriatric by giant otters standards, who typically live 10-13 years.

His brother, Romo, was even older when he passed just this week. At 14-years-old, Romo had a chronic condition of his own — cancerous masses in his spleen.

Romo had been undergoing oral chemotherapy for months, but days after the loss of his brother, zookeepers noticed a change in his eating habits and behavior. New ultrasounds showed the masses in his spleen had spread to other organs and with no other options for preserving his quality of life, Romo was also humanly euthanized.

The Impact: What Their Loss Means for Visitors

Both of these giant otters were beloved by zoo guests, who enjoyed watching the brothers swim and play in their rainforest tank. They are sure to be missed by staff, and visitors alike.

No word from the zoo on what or when new animals might call the Faces of the Rainforest tank home in the future.