When my family and I took the train from Chicago to Seattle recently, we thought the biggest WOW! moment would be the journey itself. I mean, rolling through open plains and mountainsides while sipping coffee in a sleeper car sounds like the beginning of a Hitchcock movie, right? (Nick and I stealthily sized up the other passengers, trying to figure out which one would be murdered during the trip. We hoped it was the man in the next car who shushed us on the first night because, apparently, he prized sleep over fun and laughter.)

While the train was a unique experience, it wasn’t the highlight of our trip. Nope. That honor goes to an Asian small-clawed otter named Pearl, who I’m fairly certain has a second career as a petty thief.

Pearl headlines lives at a small zoo in Tacoma. You might know that my family has always been a little obsessed with otters. We’ve even got the tattoos to prove it, which either makes us adorable or a little concerning. So, meeting an actual otter? Well, that felt like the natural next step.

And let me tell you, Pearl did not disappoint. She wasted zero time launching herself into our laps like she’d been waiting her whole life to meet us. We realized this was a distraction tactic because she immediately started rifling through our pockets to see what she might palm. She checked out our shoes and thoughtfully hid a rock in mine because otters are also givers.

And then came the juggling. Did you know otters don’t have thumbs? Pearl didn’t let that stop her. She whipped out a collection of shiny glass gems and put on a juggling act like she was a Vegas street performer. I wondered if she was going to pass around a tip jar.

We quickly learned that Pearl loves being the center of attention. We also learned that she loves tilapia, crevices, and invading personal space. She was like a four-year-old hopped up on juice boxes who tries to steal your wallet.

Of course, being the otter nerd I am, I had to gather some fun facts about Asian small-clawed otters to share:

• They’re the tiniest otters in the world. My sister calls me Baby Hands Vozza, so I felt an instant connection.
• They communicate with an elaborate mix of chirps and whistles, which is charming until you realize they’re probably talking about you.
• They leave scent marks with glands near their tails—basically the animal kingdom’s version of writing “I was here” on a bathroom stall.
• And they love sliding down mudbanks for fun, proving that otters are out there living better lives than the rest of us.

As if hanging with Pearl wasn’t enough, the zoo gave us a private tour since it was closed that day. We got to meet a capybara (basically a giant guinea pig with chill vibes), a sloth who was on permanent nap break, and a donkey who talked so much he probably has a podcast.

But Pearl stole the show, our hearts, and probably half the contents of our pockets. We didn’t care. Meeting her was like a fan club finally getting to meet its idol. And that’s otter happiness.

Have you ever met your idol?