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AN OTTER has left aquarium staff puzzled – because she is scared of water.

Shona lives with her siblings Mona and Rona, who both love splashing around like other otters.

The trio arrived at Loch Lomond Sea Life Aquarium in 2006, and keepers soon noticed that Shona didn’t swim as often as her sisters.

But more recently the Asian short-clawed otter has started refusing to get wet altogether.

Aquarist Colin Sinclair said yesterday: “We’re puzzled.

“Otters usually love water and a bit of swimming every day is good for their fitness and general health.

“It’s very odd even for an otter to avoid water altogether.

“Shona’s a lovely character and very playful. But while her sisters chase each other around the pool, she just sits by the side and watches.”

Worried staff at the aquarium in Balloch, Dunbartonshire, are now trying to gently tempt Shona back into the water.

Colin said: “We usually throw food into the pools for the otters to dive and fetch – which they love – but she just looks at it.

“With Shona, we stand in the 3ft diving pool ourselves and entice her in with a treat, like a piece of her favourite, trout.

“So far, she gets in and out again as fast as she can.

“She will often grab her piece of fish from the water, then shoot up my leg to sit on my shoulders.

“But we’re confident if we persist she will regain her confidence and start enjoying a dip again just as much as Rona and Mona.”