Two lonely otters who fell in love online after losing their partners have moved in together

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By VT

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Two lonely otters who fell in love thanks to the help of an online dating profile have moved in together in what could be the love story of 2020.

The Asian short-clawed otters are now living together full time after recently losing their partners despite initially living over 400 miles apart.

The Cornish Seal Sanctuary in England - where Harris lived before meeting Pumpkin - wrote in a press release cited by People that Harris' partner Apricot "sadly passed away" in September "after reaching an impressive 16 years of age, leaving Harris alone for the first time in four years."

"Whilst he appeared to have resigned himself back to the bachelor lifestyle, there's now no female telling him how to make his bed - what a mess!" said the release. "Naturally otters live in pairs and he's such a good partner that the team wanted him to be able to get a second chance of love."

Watch the 'loveotters' interacting below: 
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The team then did what anyone does in the modern age and created a "dating profile" for Harris, which they hilariously titled "Fishing for Love," and said within that he was "looking to find my significant otter."

The endearing profile described Harris as an "attentive" partner who loves to "cuddle" and is "a very good listener."

The profile then caught the attention of the carers female otter named Pumpkin, who resides at SEA LIFE Scarborough, which was over 400 miles away.

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"After recently losing her best friend Eric, Pumpkin has been extremely lonely so we are delighted that Harris will be coming to join her at SEA LIFE Scarborough and hope his arrival will provide Pumpkin with comfort and companionship," SEA LIFE Scarborough display curator Todd German said in the release.

SEA LIFE Scarborough said in a press release cited by People that Harris has now moved to the UK aquarium and seal hospital where the pair are getting along "swimmingly".

Harris and Pumpkin have even been going on "dates" "including a fairy-lit dinner for two".

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The new couple will now live out their days at SEA LIFE Scarborough, where they have already got on well during a successful trial run.

"We are absolutely delighted that Pumpkin and Harris are getting on so well and he has settled in so quickly," Cornish Seal Sanctuary curator Tamara Cooper says in the release. "[Harris] is very much missed here at the Sanctuary, but after everything Pumpkin and Harris have been through with losing their partners, it is the perfect fairy-tale ending for them to have found love again."

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"After an extremely sad period for both Pumpkin and the Animal Care team here at Scarborough, we are delighted to report that not only is Pumpkin happy once again, but Harris has settled in extremely well and has already become part of the SEA LIFE Scarborough family," adds German. "We can't wait for our guests to meet the happy couple when we reopen our doors on Wednesday 2nd December."