When Eddie the otter died last year, his passing left a basketball-sized hole in the hearts of many Portlanders.

The 20-year old creature counted among his many talents the ability to slam dunk a basketball, a feat few of his human counterparts could rival.

After his death, staff at the zoo knew they couldn’t let the tradition fade into history so they started training. First off the bench was Juno, a 5-year-old female who was rescued as a pup near Monterey Bay, California.

“She’s just a sweet, awesome otter. I can’t say enough great things about her,” marine life keeper Amy Hash told the Washington Post. “She’s high-energy. She loves to train. She’s a happy little otter.”

Slamming a basketball through a hoop doesn’t fall within the natural abilities of an otter. Hash started by training Juno to play catch. She’d toss the ball, and when Juno brought it back, she was rewarded with praise and treats.

Once Juno got that dialed, they moved the game of catch toward the hoop, hung from the side of the behind-the-scenes otter enclosure. Juno learned to rise up out of the water near the hoop and, soon enough, she was throwing down dunks reminiscent of Jusuf Nurkic.

Eddie learned to dunk as a way to combat arthritis in his elbows and paws. Juno doesn’t have any of those problems yet, but keepers say her basketball skills, which include an impossible-to-defend spin move, will help keep her agile and fit, both physically and mentally.

-- Kale Williams

kwilliams@oregonian.com

503-294-4048

@sfkale

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