Habitat loss and trapping slashed the common river otter's population in the late 1800s, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The mammal was hunted to extremes during the Fur Trade Era (1600 to 1850) but was reintroduced in Ohio from 1986 to 1993.
Because of this reintroduction, the presence of river otters has been confirmed in 86 of 88 Ohio counties as of 2020. As these animals thrive, biodiversity is reinstated in areas where the river otter once ruled.
Oxford, Ohio, resident Jim Hermann captured images on his trail cameras of river otters playing on his property, per The Miami Student.
Hermann told the newspaper: "For me, it was very exciting. … I wouldn't have expected them here."
While Hermann set up his trail cameras to watch the beavers that were chewing on his trees, he was treated to a rare sight. Trail cameras are good for this.
Researchers use them to watch animals in their natural habitats and track the populations of endangered species.
For instance, Galápagos Conservancy uses trail cameras to classify native animals and track their behaviors and population changes. It then uses this data to determine what a species may need to be better served by conservationists.
Of course, these devices are not just used by conservation organizations. Anyone can set them up to spy on animals at play with the added possibility of surprise appearances of rare critters.
When these sightings are reported, as they are encouraged to be, officials can add data to their studies on animal population changes and track the results of rehabilitation efforts. Organizations such as Otter Watch and the River Otter Ecology Project ask people to report sightings of otters in nature.
Hermann's sighting in a town not used to seeing river otters gives hope to biologists, conservationists, and animal lovers alike.
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Definitely 🙁 "We want to have a healthy population that can sustain itself and provide resources," Miami University student Aiden Schmeling said to The Miami Student. "They are a mid-upper level predator on fish and aquatic life, so that indicates there's adequate water quality for our fish. It tells us that we have a big enough ecosystem to support a predator."
Hermann told the newspaper: "There are bright spots. One of those bright spots is the reappearance of these big mammal and bird species that have come back to Ohio."
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