Woman Drops Phone In Zoo Pond Before Otter Rescues It From The Depths

This is the moment a zoo otter dives down to recover a woman's mobile phone after she dropped it in a pool of water while filming the playful animal.

The incident was filmed at Shanghai Wild Animal Park in the eastern Chinese city of Shanghai earlier this month, and the female zoo visitor has reportedly sent a specially-made pennant to the zoo to honour the little otter.

The animal, named ‘You Tiao’, was performing tricks with a zookeeper while the woman, surnamed Zhao, filmed with her phone.

However, she dropped her phone in the pond and it captured the moment the otter caught it underwater and returned it to the laughing zookeeper, who has not been named, who in turn gave it back to the visitor.

At the time, Zhao, who lives in the Chinese capital Beijing, promised to send a pennant to the Shanghai Wild Animal Park to honour the bright little otter.

True to her word, the woman sent the award to staff at the Shanghai zoo who said they received it last week.

The pennant means You Tiao is the first animal at the zoo to ever receive an award, according to reports.

Zhao said about the video of the otter saving her phone: “It is so cute. I just want to laugh whenever I see it. I am so happy... I will make a special trip to see that little guy again soon!”

The zoo said that they also rewarded little You Tiao with extra fish due to the animal’s quick actions.

According to reports, the incident has turned the otter into a local celebrity with Chinese netizens dubbing it the ‘Lei Feng Otter’.

Lei Feng was a soldier in the People's Liberation Army who died while on-duty and became a symbol of selflessness, hard work and devotion to China.

shysdwy/AsiaWire/Lee Bullen