river safari otter

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River Otter Toy

• Floating down a river on its back, while taking a well-earned nap, is the river-otter! A semiaquatic mammal mainly endemic to North America, the river otter is actually a close relative of the weasel, sharing many of the same habits and physical characteristics.
• Scientific Name: Lontra Canadensis
• Characteristics: Although river otters spend most of their time in the water, this one has taken to the land to come over and meet you! Professionally sculpted and hand-painted to ensure true-to-life detail, this figurine will turn your home into a busy and bustling river ecosystem!
• Size and Color: 5.5 inches long and 4 inches wide, this adorable river otter is about as long as a soda can on its side and as wide as the length of a credit card. Depicting the most common fur coloration, this otter figurine is mainly dark brown with an off-white chest and face.
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North American river otter

Lontra canadensis.

• Conservation

Physical Description

North American river otters, also called Canadian otters, have long, muscular, streamlined bodies with short legs and fully webbed feet bearing non-retractable claws. Their small heads widen to long necks and shoulders, and they have flattened, well-muscled tails. These otters have brown-to-gray fur, and their undersides are a lighter, silvery shade. Their dense, short under-fur is overlain by darker, coarse guard hairs that help repel water.

The river otter's eyes and ears are located high on its head for surface swimming. A third eyelid, or nictitating membrane, protects the eye and allows the otter to see when swimming underwater. The otter's ears and nostrils close underwater.

River otters have long, stiff and highly sensitive facial whiskers that aid in locating and capturing prey. The otters typically capture prey in their mouths but occasionally use their thumbs and forepaws to grasp and manipulate prey. Like other carnivores, their teeth are well adapted for grinding and crushing.

The tail is highly muscular and comprises up to 40 percent of the otter's total body length. With the tail's strong, undulating movement, a river otter propels itself through the water as fast as 8 miles (13 kilometers) per hour and can easily dive to 36 feet (11 meters) or more. River otters use their powerful hind feet to help with propulsion and their small, dexterous front feet for paddling through the water.

Adult river otters weigh 10 to 33 pounds (4.5 to 15 kilograms) and are about 2.5 to 5 feet (76 to 152 centimeters) in length. Females are roughly one-third the size of males.

Native Habitat

River otters are found throughout most of North America from the Rio Grande to Canada and Alaska, except for in arid deserts and the treeless Arctic.    They live in riparian zones, often in the same areas as beavers. Their aquatic habitats can be both marine and fresh water: streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and marshes.

They prefer unpolluted water with a minimal human disturbance. An extremely adaptable animal, otters tolerate hot and cold climates, as well as high elevations and lowland coastal waters.

Provided it survives its first year of life, a typical North American river otter will live to the age of 12, with some surviving longer. The oldest living river otter on record was 27 years old.

Communication

River otters exhibit a variety of vocalizations, ranging from whistles and buzzes to twitters, staccato chuckles, chirps and growls. When threatened or frightened, they emit a hair-raising scream that can be heard up to 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) across the water.

River otters leave scent marks on vegetation within their home range. Scent marking is done by either urinating/defecating or by emitting a strong, musky odor from the paired scent glands near the base of the tail.

Food/Eating Habits

River otters eat mostly aquatic organisms, including fish, frogs, crayfish, turtles, insects and some small mammals. They hunt singly or in pairs and although otters generally forage in water, they are equally at home on land, sometimes traveling between 10 and 18 miles (16 and 29 kilometers) in search of food.

North American river otters get their boundless energy from their very high metabolism, which also requires that they eat a great deal during the day. At the Smithsonian's National Zoo, they eat a prepared meat diet and several types of fish. They also receive mice, carrots, hard-boiled eggs, clams, crayfish, dry kibble, crickets and live fish for variety and enrichment.

Social Structure

A North American river otter's home range can be as large as 30 square miles (78 square kilometers), but a typical territory is 3 to 15 square miles (4.8 to 24 square kilometers). That home range shrinks drastically during breeding and rearing season.

While river otters tend to live alone or in pairs, they often socialize in groups and are known for their playful behavior. Their long, agile bodies enable them to quickly twist , turn, roll and dive, and they are frequently seen sliding or burrowing in the mud or snow. There is evidence that river otters' play activities strengthen social bonds, improve hunting techniques and scent mark territories. They spend a significant portion of the day scent marking territory by urinating, defecating, scratching and rubbing their scent glands on rocks and trees. 

Reproduction and Development

Information about river otter breeding and reproductive and social behavior is varied due to the difficulty of studying these animals in the wild. Some studies indicate that river otters pair for only a few months during the breeding season and have no further strong bonds. Other research maintains that river otters mate for life.

Different studies have placed the breeding season in winter, late spring and summer. What is clear is that there is a delayed implantation of nine to 11 months, with actual gestation taking about 60 days. Otter births occur most frequently in March or April.

Female otters prepare dens that they keep scrupulously clean. The den is usually dug into the bank of a stream but can be an old beaver's lodge, muskrat house or hollow tree. Young are born between April and May and arrive silky black, blind, toothless and totally helpless. They weigh about 4 to 6 ounces (113 to 170 grams) at birth and measure 8 to 11 inches (20 to 28 centimeters). The male otter is generally chased away until the young are weaned and old enough to leave the riverbank, at which time they may return and help raise the pups.

River otters stay in family groups during the summer and early fall. Pups grow rapidly and emerge from the den at about 2 months of age. At this point, they eat solid food but are not completely weaned for another month or two. While young otters swim naturally, the mother must coax them into the water for their first swim. They remain as a family unit for seven to eight months or until the birth of a new litter. Otters reach sexual maturity at 2 to 3 years of age.

Conservation Efforts

North American river otters are likely the most numerous of the otter species. Because they are at the top of their food chain, they have few predators. However, water pollution, uncontrolled trapping and severe habitat loss have reduced the number of river otters. 

For years, river otters have been hunted for their fur, and their pelts are still an important source of income for many people in Canada. As recently as the mid-1980s, more than 30,000 pelts were harvested annually. Today, accidental trappings in beaver traps constitute the most otter fatalities.

Regionally extinct throughout the Midwest and heavily populated areas in the east, several states have recently begun reintroduction programs. It is encouraging to note that with these conservation programs, regulations on trapping and the improvement of water quality, the river otters are finally making a comeback in certain wetland areas.

Because they have a low tolerance for polluted water, river otters are considered by some naturalists to be a good indicator, or "keystone," species of the quality of aquatic habitats. They are found at the top of the food chain, and there is some evidence that their birth rates are reduced when pollution levels—including toxic chemicals, heavy metals, pesticides and agricultural wastes—build up.

River otters have been blamed for decimating game fish populations and are seen as a pest to eradicate by many game fishermen. Recent research, however, indicates that otters prefer slower moving, easier to catch fish, such as suckers and catfish found along river bottoms, and pose no threat to game fish.

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Customers appreciate the detail in the toy figure. They say it looks good, is adorable, and is a very realistic reproduction of a river otter. Customers also mention that the figurine has a subtle touch that blends right in.

" Very cute and well made. My daughter got it for her friend who likes otters, and they both loved it." Read more

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'Giant River Otter!': So many more sights to see on safari to the Pantanal in Brazil

Helen Blazis of Grafton recently   returned from leading a safari to the Pantanal of Brazil. Her safari included photographers from Worcester County, and the group wanted to bring home stories of experiencing such a wildlife adventure. Helen is the wife of Mark Blazis, who wrote the Outdoors column for the Telegram & Gazette until his death in 2021,

Having witnessed the jaguar kill a capybara in the early morning, I assumed we would visit the site to see if the female had returned to the kill following nursing her two cubs. Had the dominant male taken possession of the kill?  Were the vultures and other scavengers taking advantage of the jaguar’s absence? 

Instead, our stalwart team of eight naturalists cruised along the left fork of the Rio Negro, a stretch of water we had not yet explored. A boat-billed heron sat patiently on a snag overhanging the river. High on the very top of a tree was a massive nest of sturdy sticks. A pair of incredibly tall (5 feet) and heavy (15 pounds) storks stood guard over their nest. Their body and wings were feathered pure white (wingspan of 9 feet). Their heads and necks revealed bare black skin. And below the neck, a stretchable pouch of gaudy red skin got our attention. They are known as Jabiru, the Huarani Indigenous word meaning “swollen neck.”  

More: 'Had proven the most elusive': Catching the jaguar's hunting prowess on safari in Brazil

Out came the cameras and telephoto lenses. The Jabiru male and female will both incubate their eggs. This allows one parent to be off hunting for fish, frogs, snakes, and even mice and carrion, if the occasion arises. Mating for life, Jabirus can live an incredible 36 years. 

Up river, we rousted a flock of dozens of snowy egrets which were gathering to roost for the night in a large tree. The spectacle of so many flapping white wings was an awesome sight. 

Moments later, our guide shouted, “Giant River Otter!” We set anchor in the middle of the river, so as not to disturb the otters by our presence. The adult male and female were relaxing on a large branch which hung over the water. Each, periodically, would scratch against the bark. Then the pair would rub against each other. Very romantic. In the water beneath them, three sub-adult otters (born last year) were chasing one another, in a kind of game of tag. We noticed the two 3-month-old baby otters in the water as well. The game of tag was getting more boisterous, and the two babies were being chased and roughhoused by their older siblings.  

The mother noticed the harassing behavior and slipped into the water. The entrance to their den in the muddy embankment was nearby. She urged her sub-adult offspring to stop their play and go into the den, which was about 10 feet deep. The young otters, of course, refused and ignored their mother. They just kept swimming around chasing the babies. The mother otter had had enough. She grabbed one otter with her mouth and pulled him up into the den. Then she emerged and collected a second otter. While trying to force him into the den, she slipped and both young otters fell out of the den with her, back into the water. The sub-adults must have sensed her displeasure.  This time as the mother dragged each one into the den, there was no debate. 

There. With all pups in the den, she could have a moment of peace. Or so she thought. The littlest baby otter was still in the river, crying piteously. So maybe she couldn’t count. Back into the water she slipped, and with a gentle bite around the neck of the little one, she carried the pup into the den with his siblings. And the father otter? He had ambled up the muddy embankment to the top where he was resting in some grasses. Mother otter could handle the youngsters. 

Returning to our lodge, we came upon a sandbar in the middle of the very wide Cuiabá River. Black skimmers, wattled jacana, yellow-billed terns, large-billed terns, collared plover, pied lapwing, lesser yellowlegs, and stilt sandpiper. What a splendid way to end an amazing day. 

The Pantanal of Brazil proved to be full of drama and excitement for the team of Donna and Larry Reich, Ellie and Paul Horwitz, Lisa and John Rawinski, and Stephanie Donaldson. The magnificent Giant River Otter is the world’s largest otter species, and currently is listed as endangered. Habitat destruction, water contamination, shooting, and climate change have all contributed to its diminishing population. Ecotourism can help, as the Giant River Otter becomes more valuable alive than dead.  

What other dangerous or beautiful, exotic or rare creatures would we encounter tomorrow?  

—Contact Helen Blazis at  [email protected] .

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Asia’s first giant river otter baby born at River Safari

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SINGAPORE — Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) today (Oct 3) announced the birth of Asia’s first giant river otter baby, amid the more than 400 animal babies born in the first eight months of this year at its four parks.

The births at Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, River Safari and Singapore Zoo were announced in conjunction with World Animal Day tomorrow.

Born on Aug 10, the unnamed male giant river otter pup now weighs 1.6kg and measures 60cm.

The giant river otter pup and his mother have both been left alone in their den to bond, and will enter the River Safari’s Amazon Flooded Forest exhibit in a few week’s time.

His parents, Carlos and Carmen, are from Germany’s Hamburg and Duisburg Zoo respectively, and arrived in August last year as part of an animal exchange and breeding programme. The River Safari is the first zoological institution in Asia to feature the river giants.

Adult giant otters can grown up to 1.8m in length and weigh up to 34kg, and they are the largest of the world’s 13 otter species. Found only in the South American river systems, hunting and habitat loss have resulted in the giant river otters being among the rarest otters in the world.

The other animal babies born or hatched this year are from more than 100 species, of which 37 are classified as threatened in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

These include a Malayan tapir, Putri, which was born on June 3, and Chocolate, an endangered African penguin chick, hatched on March 14.

WRS Chief Life Sciences Officer Cheng Wen-Haur said: “We have maintained an excellent record of success in our captive breeding programme, and visitors to our parks are often pleasantly surprised to find adorable animal babies.

“The landmark birth of Asia’s first giant river otter baby represents the culmination of efforts and dedication of our zoology team in adopting and maintaining the highest standards of husbandry. With increasing threats such as habitat destruction and poaching, captive breeding programmes play a pivotal role in conserving threatened species for our future generations.”

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Dania Experiences

Travel • food • lifestyle, review: river safari/wonders, mandai wildlife reserve (singapore).

River Safari recently underwent a name change to River Wonders as part of a corporate rebranding move , so for consistency, I’ll be referring to River Safari as River Wonders from here on out! This wildlife park is one of four (soon to be five) parks managed by the Mandai Wildlife Group , with a river theme and greater focus on aquatic animals. The open-dated tickets my husband and I bought from Traveloka included entry to both River Wonders as well as the Singapore Zoo. It was flexible in that we could visit each park on a different day, as long as both visits were within 7 days of each other. However, given the fact that we’re both working folks, that flexibility didn’t exactly apply to us so I planned a packed but doable itinerary to cover both parks in a day. Unfortunately, God had other plans and literally rained on our parade shortly after we arrived so we had to make spontaneous adjustments. That also meant that we could only visit River Wonders as the Singapore Zoo is largely unsheltered, rendering that option untenable (no matter since my workplace provides complimentary corporate zoo passes). Thank goodness the plan was to start the day at River Wonders anyway!

• 1-day entry tickets to River Wonders and Singapore Zoo
• Spent: SGD$60 (for 2 tickets)

The animals are more or less sorted into zones of rivers or forests where their species can be found but it became rather perplexing as it wasn’t very clear when one zone ended and another began. So I’ll just string together some highlights of the animals which I found pretty interesting (: We spent the most time at the Amazon Flooded Forest’s otter and manatee habitats as there was something magical about watching these graceful creatures glide through the waters. Two of the otters were frolicking and chasing each other, zooming overhead as we stood beneath them in an underwater tunnel (video here !). During the manatees’ feeding time, it was quite amusing to see them swimming around with poop hanging off their undersides. On a sweeter note, I managed to take a video of one manatee “hugging” another, awww ❤

At the Squirrel Monkey Forest, it was really cool how we got to get so up close and personal with animals like the squirrel monkeys and Azara’s agoutis. No barriers, no glass, just us walking along the same paths in the same space as them. While a staff was handing out food to these guys, I spotted a cheeky squirrel monkey snatching food from a helpless agouti, who had no means of fighting back! Poor fella ): In the event of rain and lightning, note that this zone will be closed.

Over at the Mekong River zone, I was blown away by the sheer size of the giant catfish there! At first glance from far, they didn’t appear that humongous but it was a totally different story when we stood in front of the glass tank. I’d never seen such a big fish in real life, only those on Wicked Tuna heh.

An undeniable must-see here are the super cute pandas at the Giant Panda Forest. It was a bummer that mummy Jia Jia was nursing baby Le Le in the maternity ward during our visit so we could only see daddy Kai Kai lazing out on a rock. Not forgetting the adorable red pandas too! They were perched quite high up on the trees so it was tough to get a proper view of them. Even if you don’t fancy pandas that much, this is still a great place to cool off and seek respite from the heat as it’s fully air-conditioned to maintain a suitable climate for them.

If you’re feeling hungry, your only two options within the park are Starbucks (located at the entrance) and Mama Panda Kitchen (located at the Giant Panda Forest), which serves up chinese cuisine. Deciding to have lunch at the latter and wait out the rain there, we ordered chicken zha jiang mian ($12.90), chicken cutlet ramen ($12.90), a panda chocolate custard pau ($2.90) and a root beer float ($6.90). Portion sizes were not too bad but the food was terribly bland. I even found a short strand of hair in my soup, nasty. The only saving grace of this meal was the fluffy panda pau with its creamy chocolate custard. As with most theme park food, prices were on the expensive side, making this meal totally not value for money. Pack your own food if you can.

Right after lunch, we made a beeline for the Amazon River Quest as it was closed earlier due to the rain. This ticketed boat ride goes in a loop and brings you past various animal habitats along the way. Thankfully, the staggering queue for this ride moved fairly quickly even though the board indicated a wait time of 20 minutes. There are 3 mild roller-coaster-ish slopes spaced out across the ride (video of one of them here !), possibly an attempt to make the ride a little more exciting. It was a pretty cool experience as the boat gets right up to the edge of the enclosures and it felt like we were really near the animals. I read in some reviews that the best time to see the animals here is earlier in the morning as it gets too hot past noon. Although we didn’t make that timing, we still managed to see many of them. All things considered, I thought this ride was quite worth it ($5 per adult, $3 per child), but do note that if weather conditions aren’t suitable, there’s a chance you won’t get to take the ride and no refunds will be given.

On top of Amazon River Quest, there used to be another boat ride called the Reservoir Cruise that would take you on a 15-minute scenic journey along the outskirts of the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari. However, due to the covid situation, this ride has been temporarily suspended.

Rounding off our day here was the Once Upon A River animal presentation. I can’t even begin to describe how arduous it was for us to get seats for it. There are 3 sessions in a day: 11.30am, 2.30pm and 4.30pm. When we reached Boat Plaza at 11.15am for the first show, the capacity of 50 pax (40 pax in rainy conditions) was maxed out. Thinking we’d learnt our lesson, we decided to arrive 45 minutes earlier for the second show. We were initially allowed in the queue to supposedly take the last two available slots. Alas, due to some miscalculation on the staff’s part, our slots apparently never existed and so we were ousted from the show once again. One of the staff empathized with our plight and very kindly told us that she will help to reserve 2 spaces for the last show of the day, suggesting that we come by at 4pm. After visiting the rest of the exhibits, we came back to Boat Plaza at 3.25pm for the 4.30pm show AND IT WAS FULL, save for the fact that we had seats reserved. We were legit the last ones standing in the queue line even though we were a whole hour early to showtime, such is the weekend crowd. Hopefully there won’t be such occurrences again as the park has introduced an online booking system where visitors can now reserve slots 2 hours before showtime (fastest fingers first, of course), ideally helping to limit the uncertainty of seat availability. We finally got to watch the show after all that hullabaloo and our verdict is, it’s really not worth waiting in line for an hour or more for it. It simply felt like a quick, successive parade of the animals (some doing little tricks) while having loads of information thrown at us. I think the suspension of interaction opportunities with the animals as compared to pre-covid iterations of this show kinda stifled the experience, but kudos to the presenters who did their best to engage the audience.

My overall rating of the experience: 3 out of 5 stars . I was pleasantly surprised that the animals here weren’t the common run-of-the-mill types, which was a refreshing eye-opener for me. I was especially intrigued by the gigantic Mekong catfish, the adorable capybaras, the graceful manatees, as well as the agile and playful otters. The Amazon River Quest boat ride was quite the novel experience, where we got to view various animals and intermittently cruise down some slopes. It was amazing to be in such close proximity to the creatures at the Squirrel Monkey Forest too! However, a number of park experiences like the feeding sessions were suspended at the point of our visit, which was a bit of a letdown. But what really affected this rating was the pricey yet unappetizing food served at Mama Panda Kitchen and the pains of getting a near-impossible seat at the animal presentation (I hope you won’t find yourself in a such a situation with the new online booking system). Otherwise, this would’ve been a 4-star rating. With that said, it’s still worth a visit for the unique wildlife you can find here.

If this post helped you in some way and you’d like to buy me a coffee, I’d be incredibly grateful (:

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P.E.I. river otters caught on camera as their population grows

New rules in place to protect otters from beaver traps in kensington north watersheds.

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River otters are making a comeback in at least one corner of Prince Edward Island, according to a recent journal article, and as a result measures are now being taken to protect the popular, water-loving mammal.  

The Kensington North Watersheds Association started tracking river otters with trail cameras in late 2019.

They began monitoring Morrisons Pond in Darnley, after a juvenile otter was found dead nearby, suggesting there may have been others in the area.

The first river otter was captured on the association's trail camera just a few weeks later.

• How river otters are making a comeback on P.E.I. after 100 years

According to Nature P.E.I., in the past Prince Edward Island once had a thriving population of North American river otters, also known by its scientific name,  Lontra canadensi s, or  kiwink  in Mi'kmaq.

However, due to hunting and habitat loss, the species were presumed extirpated on the Island since the early 1900s, meaning they became extinct locally, but not elsewhere.

Since that time, occasional anecdotal reports surfaced of otter tracks and sightings on P.E.I. But it wasn't until 2016 when an adult male otter was captured in a beaver trap. Seven others have since been collected in beaver catches, according to a report  published Jan. 15 in The Canadian Field-Naturalist journal.

Trail cams offer 'great opportunity'

Haylah Wagner is the executive director of the Kensington North Watersheds Association. She has been working on the trail cameras project for two years. 

"It's a really great opportunity for us to not only see river otters, but to see the other wildlife in our area," she said. "But especially river otters, since they aren't very common around here and we love to see that.

"They're just loving life here, and they're expanding." 

Wagner said the first sightings were at Morrisons Pond, but the species has since been recorded as far as Campbell's Pond and "multiple" other ponds the group is watching.

"We've seen them go through different parts of our streams," she said. "We've caught pictures of them running through the stream.

"So we're excited to see them hopefully come inland a little bit too."

They're a little bit skittish, so it's a little sad that they don't stick around for us to capture video evidence or pictures. ​​​​​​ —Haylah Wagner, Kensington North Watersheds Association 

Wagner said she has herself seen river otters swimming in streams and ponds over the last couple of summers.   "They're a little bit skittish, so it's a little sad that they don't stick around for us to capture video evidence or pictures," she said.

"At most of our ponds, the cottage owners always talk to us about how they've seen the otters running through their backyards, or they see them in the stream next to their land, and they love to just talk to us about it."

• Resurgent river otters loving life in Kensington, says watershed group

Wagner said she understands why people are so drawn to river otters, as well as captivated by the story of their resurgence on P.E.I.  

"I just think it's a nice creature for us to have," she said. "[Islanders] love to see that it's returning as well.

"I think it's a great story: 'Oh, this species was not here for a while and now it's coming back ... Maybe other animals can come back as well.'"

'A good ecological story for P.E.I.'

The trail camera project started with just six cameras in the area where the first otter was seen. Now the project has expanded to other watersheds on the Island, co-ordinated through the P.E.I. Watershed Alliance.  "It's a good ecological story for P.E.I." said Matthew Ginn, a wildlife biologist with Forests, Fish and Wildlife, part of P.E.I.'s environment ministry. "That a very likable animal could re-inhabit a place that it had previously been extirpated from.

"They're very cute and I think they're well liked by people just in general."

Ginn said the province now has measures in place to protect river otters in Kensington North watersheds. 

"Trapping in general is closed for this area except under special permit, where some people might have a beaver problem or [they're] flooding out a road or some crop," he said.

"In those cases, they will be allowed under special permit to use a live trap for the beavers — the logic being that if an otter does get in there, you can just let it go."

How river otters get to the Island

Wildlife experts believe the otters are swimming to P.E.I. from New Brunswick or Nova Scotia, which they say is well within the animals' range of travel.

Conservationists hope more of the species will make the trip, and establish populations in other parts of the Island, too.

"We don't really know how much they're populating right now or what the population is on the island," Wagner said. "So it could take anywhere from 10 to 20 years to really build the population up."

Wagner said she's happy to be part of the otters' success story. 

"I love it, I love the otters, they're just so cute and cuddly," she said. "But I would not touch them; they will bite you most likely, so just stay away from him, let him be.

"If you see them, see if you can capture a picture of them and then send it to your local watershed."

Garry Gregory from P.E.I. Forests, Fish and Wildlife will be the guest speaker at the Nature P.E.I. meeting on May 7 at Beaconsfield Carriage House in Charlottetown. His presentation is called "Return of the River Otter to P.E.I.."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nancy Russell is a reporter at CBC Prince Edward Island. She has also worked as a reporter and producer with CBC in Whitehorse, Winnipeg, and Toronto. She can be reached at [email protected]

Russia's Nuclear Deterrent Command Center Imperiled by Winter Freeze—Report

A Russian nuclear deterrent command center in Moscow has been imperiled by power outages that have impacted more than one-quarter of the region's cities amid freezing temperatures, a Russian Telegram channel has reported.

The VChK-OGPU outlet, which purports to have inside information from Russian security forces, reported that the 820th Main Center for Missile Attack Warnings—part of the Russian Space Forces, a branch of the country's Aerospace Forces—near Solnechnogorsk in Moscow is without power.

It serves as the space forces early warning network against potential ballistic missile attacks.

The development comes as Russians are reported to be suffering from power outages in their homes in the Moscow region caused by technical issues at plants amid subzero temperatures.

On January 4, a heating main burst at the Klimovsk Specialized Ammunition Plant in the town of Podolsk, which is about 30 miles south of central Moscow. Since then, tens of thousands of Russians are reported to have no heating in their homes.

Affected areas include the cities of Khimki, Balashikha, Lobnya, Lyubertsy, Podolsk, Chekhov and Naro-Fominsk, a map published by a Russian Telegram channel and shared on other social media sites shows.

Other Russian media outlets reported that in Moscow, residents of Balashikha, Elektrostal, Solnechnogorsk, Dmitrov, Domodedovo, Troitsk, Taldom, Orekhovo-Zuyevo, Krasnogorsk, Pushkino, Ramenskoye, Voskresensk, Losino-Petrovsky and Selyatino are also without power.

The Telegram channel said that at the 820th Main Center for Missile Attack Warnings, "the crew...is on duty around the clock."

"It is here that the decision on a retaliatory nuclear strike is executed," the channel said.

Newsweek could not independently verify the report and has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry by email for comment.

Power outages have also been reported in Russia's second-largest city, St. Petersburg, in the country's western Voronezh region, in the southwest city of Volgograd, and in Rostov, which borders Ukraine, a country that Russia has been at war with since February 24, 2022.

On Sunday, two shopping malls in St. Petersburg were forced to close because of problems with light and heating, reported local news outlet 78.ru. Hundreds of other homes in the city have had no electricity, water or heating for days amid temperatures of -25 C (-13 F).

Russian authorities have also been forced to compensate passengers of a train that ran from Samara to St. Petersburg (a 20-hour journey) without heating during -30 C (-22 F) temperatures. Videos circulating on social media showed carriage windows frozen over. A passenger also said the toilet didn't work during the trip because of frozen pipes.

Do you have a tip on a world news story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the Russia-Ukraine war? Let us know via [email protected].

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