Otter drowns after being given ‘unauthorised’ pants by zookeepers

An otter has drowned at Calgary Zoo in Canada after it was given a pair of pants to put on for fun by zookeepers.

The pants were deemed an “unauthorised employment item” after they became tangled in the otter’s fur causing the animal to drown.

Another zoo employee had reportedly seen the otter, known as Logan, drowning and jumped into the water to attempt to save him but it was too late for the 12-year-old animal.

The Calgary Zoo released a statement addressing the accident.

"Our animal care protocols are among the most stringent in the industry and must be followed. We will be reinforcing our protocols with every member of our animal care staff to prevent an incident like this from ever happening again," zoo curator Colleen Baird said in a statement.

"This error is simply unacceptable.”