It’s playtime! One happy otter at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington was in for a real treat. The animal was gifted with the most perfectly pint-sized pumpkin to play with by his handlers and he had an absolute blast! The otter loved every minute spent with his brand new “toy.” It’s so incredibly cute.

Clara is a rescue otter who is getting used to life at the zoo. One way that her handlers have tried to help her heal is by playing with her. Hence giving her a pumpkin to pal around with.

Is this not the cutest little play session that you’ve ever seen? Who knew that otters liked pumpkins so much? Although it is that time of year, so maybe Clara was just feeling the autumnal spirit?

Related: Otter Pups at Cincinnati Zoo Have Their First Snow Day and It’s Cuteness Overload

Every time the woman handed the gourd to the otter, she passed it right back! What a cutie! The woman instructed the otter to place it back in the same spot every single time. What a good girl!

“Tiny pumpkin, big progress!” the video’s caption reads. “Clara the rescued sea otter is learning new behaviors through positive reinforcement training. These sessions help strengthen trust with her care team, and make learning fun!”

People in the comments section were rooting for Clara and her journey.

“The little pats her paws make awww,” praised one person.

“I know these aren’t pets and I can’t have them at my house … but…. I so want the cute water kitty,” someone else chimed in.

“I love her so much,” gushed another commenter.

“Otters are so cute,” one commenter added.

Are Otters Friendly?

This little one is so precious. I totally understand why that commenter wanted an otter of their own. Otters are incredibly social and friendly creatures. They get along with other animals and humans alike.

There is a major caveat to this, however. Otters in the wild should probably be left alone and not approached. They are wild creatures. You should never, ever take a wild otter home as a pet. So to reiterate, otters are friendly, but try and only hang out with them at the zoo.

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This story was originally reported by PetHelpful on Nov 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.