River otter who gave adoptive pups ‘second chance’ at life dies at Oregon zoo

A zoo euthanized a “beloved” North American river otter after her health declined due to her age, Oregon zookeepers said.

Tilly, a river otter that was euthanized at the age of 16, which is “geriatric for her species,” was named after the Tillamook River and was found orphaned in 2009, according to an April 30 news release from the Oregon Zoo.

She was found at two months old after being attacked by a cat in an apartment complex, Renee Larison, a zookeeper said in a video.

“She was found alone so we don’t know if she had brothers and sisters. We don’t know if the cat dragged her out of a nest,” Larison said.

She was found “seriously malnourished” before being rescued and sent to the Oregon Zoo to recover, officials said.

Tilly won the zoo’s “Mom of the Year” award in 2013 after being known for her parenting skills when raising her pups, Mo, Ziggy, Tucker and Nellie as well as being an adoptive mother to rescued orphans like Flora and Hobson, the Portland-based zoo said.

“We can really see a lot of Tilly in her daughter Nellie,” Larson said in the video. “She’s kind of similar where is just very sweet, very bright, picks up on things really fast. That is part of what makes her special.”

Due to the strong demand that river pup’s have, Tilly spent 99% of her time with them, either curled up and cuddling, nursing or grooming them, Larison said.

“Young river otters are extremely dependent on their mothers, and Tilly not only raised her own offspring but three other young pups who had lost their moms and needed a second chance,” Jen Osburn Eliot, who oversees the zoo’s North America area, said, in the release.

But Tilly wasn’t a push-over when it came to her pups and their swim lessons, officials said.

In 2012, Tilly rose to fame after being compared to Tracy Jordan, portrayed by Tracy Morgan, on NBC’s TV series “30 Rock,” officials said.

Although they used to be threatened by hunters wanting their fur, river otters are now living in the Pacific Northwest and in lakes where they feed, officials said.

“This is a very sad time, especially for Tilly’s care staff,” Osburn Eliot said in the release. “Some of our keepers were here the day she first arrived in 2009 as a tiny pup. She overcame adversity just to survive, and she helped other otters do the same.”

This story was originally published May 1, 2025 at 5:16 PM with the headline "River otter who gave adoptive pups ‘second chance’ at life dies at Oregon zoo."