Otters filmed holding paws are internet hit

Nyac and Milo from Vancouver Aquarium were filmed performing the natural behaviour of 'rafting' by visitor Cynthia Holmes five years ago.

Watch the video below

Nyac and Milo float together in a raft

But she created a worldwide phenomenon when she posted her footage onto the video sharing website YouTube in March 2007. In just one month the video had been viewed over 4 million times.

The furry mammals often rest together in 'rafts' and hold paws so that they don't float away from the group.

The film shows 17-year-old Nyac who eats 6kg of seafood and day and the younger but heavier Milo, who is seven-years-old and eats 8kg of seafood daily.

A spokesman from Vancouver Aquarium said they were delighted by the response:

"It is a testament to the allure of sea otters. And that's good since they are a threatened species and need our help.

"Oil spills are one of the greatest threats to sea otters. Nyac, the blonde female otter in the video, is a rare survivor of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill."

Sea otter fur loses its buoyancy and insulating qualities when covered with oil. This leads to hypothermia and pneumonia.

To 'adopt' an otter at the Aquarium visit www.vanaqua.org/helpus/aquadopt.html