Cleanup efforts of along and in the Bronx River in recent years have clearly been effective because a river otter was just spotted swimming in it for the first time in 100 years!
A motion-activated camera set up by local scientist, RJ Hawkins, and monitored by The Wildlife Conservation Society captured the otter.
Poor habitat conservation and pollution have reportedly been to blame for the North American river otter's disappearance from New York City, according to NewYorkers/Instagram, so it must have been a strange yet welcome site to spot the aquatic mammals back in the waters off Manhattan.
I LOVE otters! I know they're probably not as friendly as they look but I always wanted to swim with them, lol. I mean, come on, look how cute!
(Dusan veverkolog/Unsplash)
Hey! Can we use him or her to predict the coming of spring instead of Punxatawney Phil next February 2nd? Maybe he'll be more accurate, lol.
Here's to hoping this isn't the one and only river otter the area will see and that the population will grow.
