Jin (–2010) was an Asian small-clawed otter who escaped from New Zealand's

Auckland Zoo Auckland Zoo () is a zoo, zoological garden in Auckland, New Zealand, situated next to Western Springs Park not far from Auckland's Auckland CBD, central business district. It is run by Auckland Council with the Zoological Society of Auckland as ...

in 2006. She was captured almost a month later on

Rangitoto Island Rangitoto Island is a volcanic island in the Hauraki Gulf near Auckland, New Zealand. The wide island is a symmetrical shield volcano cone capped by central scoria cones, reaching a height of . Rangitoto is the youngest and largest of the appr ...

, in the

Hauraki Gulf The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km2,Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

in 2006, and was moved again to

Wellington Zoo Te Nukuao Wellington Zoo () is a zoo in the green belt of Wellington, New Zealand. History Wellington Zoo was opened in 1906 by the late Prime Minister Richard Seddon after he was given a young lion – later named King Dick – by the Bo ...

in 2007. She died in 2010.

Zoo escape

Jin escaped

on 13 June 2006 because a nesting box was not adequately attached to an enclosure wall. To escape, she dug through two walls and climbed over a 1.8-metre barrier. Two other otters also escaped but they were captured at the zoo. In an attempt to attract her, recordings of otter sounds were played. A dog was used to search through streets neighbouring the zoo, as well as Jaggers Bush and Meola Creek. At the time conservationists were concerned about the possibility of Jin entering

Tiritiri Matangi Island Tiritiri Matangi Island is located in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, east of the Whangaparāoa Peninsula in the North Island and north east of Auckland. The island is an open nature reserve managed by the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi Incor ...

, which is home to endangered species such as the

takahē The South Island takahē (''Porphyrio hochstetteri'') is a Flightless bird, flightless swamphen indigenous to New Zealand and the largest living member of the Rail (bird), rail family. It is often known by the abbreviated name takahē, whic ...

, as she might have predated upon them. She swam to the

Chelsea Sugar Refinery New Zealand Sugar Company Limited is a long-established business and landmark in Birkenhead, New Zealand, Birkenhead, New Zealand, located on the northern shore of Auckland's Waitematā Harbour. The company is also known colloquially as "Chelse ...

and then to the suburb of Devonport, which is about 10 kilometres away from the zoo and a 5.6 kilometre swim across the

Waitematā Harbour The Waitematā Harbour is the main access by sea to Auckland, New Zealand. The harbour forms the northern and eastern coasts of the Auckland isthmus and is crossed by the Auckland Harbour Bridge. It is matched on the southern side of the city ...

. Authorities placed traps in the suburb with food: seafood, meat and eggs, but they did not work. She was sighted at Narrow Neck beach. There were also reported sightings at Whangārei Heads and the

Tāmaki River The Tāmaki River or Tāmaki Estuary is mostly an estuarial arm and harbour of the Hauraki Gulf, within the city of Auckland in New Zealand.

, although it is believed that this was a seal and a shag, respectively. On 9 July a sailor in the

Hauraki Gulf The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km2, and she was seen leaving a small cave. Food was placed around traps in the islands of the gulf. She was found on 10 July in a wire cage trap on

Motutapu Island Motutapu Island is a island in the Hauraki Gulf to the northeast of the city of Auckland, New Zealand. The island is part of the Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park. The island can be accessed via regular ferry services departing from Auckland City. ...

(sources vary) after being on the loose for a little under a month. The trap had a piece of mutton in it. She had a few cuts and it was believed that she had swum up to 20 kilometres. The Department of Conservation spent about $2000 on capturing Jin. She lost about a third of her bodyweight and was kept in quarantine for a month after being captured. The media covered the escape almost daily. Some newspaper headlines included otter puns, for example "Trail gets otter as Jin spotted on Rangitoto", "Come home Jin you really otter", "Elusive Jin still on otter side of town" and "She otter be back at zoo". While she was still loose, people on the Internet were sharing a recipe for a Swimming Jin cocktail recipe: gin, cucumber and pomegranate and the

National Distribution Union The National Distribution Union (NDU) was a national trade union in New Zealand. It was formed in 1986 as the ''Northern Distribution Union'' by the merger of The Northern Drivers Union, The Northern Stores and Warehouse Union, The Auckland a ...

made

bumper stickers A bumper sticker is an adhesive label or sticker designed to be attached to the rear of a car or truck, often on the bumper. They are commonly sized at around and are typically made of PVC. Bumper stickers serve various purposes, including p ...

that said that finding Jin was easier than finding a good wage.

Life

Jin was born in Auckland Zoo in . She was moved in August 2006 to

's Willowbank Wildlife Reserve with the hope that she would procreate with an otter named Jala. Jin and Jala were moved to

in November 2007 and were kept in quarantine for a month before the public could see them. In January 2009 they were moved to a new home at the zoo. In 2010, Jin was introduced to an otter named Bud with the intention that they would breed, but they never produced any pups. Jin was found dead on 16 August 2010 in her enclosure. ''

Stuff Stuff, stuffed, and stuffing may refer to: *Physical matter *General, unspecific things, or entities Arts, media, and entertainment Books *''Stuff'' (1997), a novel by Joseph Connolly *''Stuff'' (2005), a book by Jeremy Strong Fictional c ...

'' ranked Jin as one of their "Top 10 animal heart-warmers" in 2011 and ''

The New Zealand Herald ''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation in New Zealand, ...

'' listed Jin as one of the "animals whose fates have gripped the nation" in 2021.

References

{{Reflist Otters Individual animals in New Zealand 2010 animal deaths Missing or escaped animals Individual musteloids 2006 in New Zealand 2000s animal births