A group of curious otters have got into the Halloween spirit at Weymouth Sea Life Adventure Park.

Branston, Badger and Little John, the park's resident Asian short-clawed otters, tucked into a spooky pumpkin breakfast to celebrate National Pumpkin Day on Friday, October 26.

The carved pumpkins were stuffed with their usual diet of “fish ‘n’ chicks” but provided entertainment as the otters tried to tackle them.

Senior aquarist Sarah Everett said: "We’re always looking for new things for our creatures to provide further enrichment opportunities and pumpkins are perfect.

"This species in particular uses its dexterous paws to hunt and scavenge and though a little cautious to begin with they were soon rolling them into their river and trying to hide them in their holt."

Pictures show the determined otters trying to climb into the pumpkins to get to what is inside. Carers at Weymouth Sea Life spend hours training the otters to be able to complete complex enrichment tasks.

Asian short clawed otters, the smallest of the otter species, are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list and in the wild their main threat is habitat destruction and deforestation. The species is also threatened by poaching, and by a reduction in the prey they eat caused by pollution.

Weymouth Sea Life Adventure Park has been transformed into an “Ascarium” for Halloween, with a spooky trail and enchanted cabin experience with a chance to meet Zara the sea witch until Sunday, November 4.

Explorers can find the missing magic ingredients around the park to help the sea witch cast her spell and claim their reward at the end.

Find out more at visitsealife.com/weymouth