Otters are the star at the Great Lakes Aquarium and you can buy their artwork!
Looking for art created by someone else besides humans?
Two sea otters from the Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth, Minnesota are shaking things up in the art world. The otters, Anang and Zoosh have been painting for approximately 1 year, after their keeper had a unique idea.
They were introduced to washable and non-toxic paint during feeding time. Paper along with gobs of paint were strategically placed, giving the otters a choice to walk over or bypass on the way to obtain food.
After several attempts, the sea creatures got used to it and they both seemed to enjoy painting. First the paper texture was incorrect, ripping too easily and the otters didn’t seem to like canvases. But cardstock paper and kids’ finger paint worked as a good combination. The otters use their tails to swipe the paint and leave footprints, creating some nice, abstract appearing works.
Beyond sea otters, elephants have been known to dabble in artistic expression. And even horses seem to like paint.
If you were to pick an animal, who would you really want to see paint?
