Photo by Betty Pander
Early this morning (January 11, 2020), neighbor Betty Pander texted this photo of an otter having a siesta behind her place. Seeing it made me recall the video of a parent otter holding its baby in this same pose. Is Ollie practicing for cubs? (Betty named otter. However, it could be Olivia.) Betty said that this otter was there for about 30 minutes.
I imagined the texts moving through the neighborhood. "Look out your window now!" If the timing is right, some of us grab our cameras and without being conspicuous, try to get photographs.
So that's what I did.
I have a few photos to show, but I had my camera on the wrong setting. Sorry. I watched as otter scooted its belly across the grass, preened, marked the territory, again and again, and jumped in and out of the pond before walking across the grass towards a place that must be its den.
Perhaps Betty's sighting will inspire you as it does me to pause and look around our incredible habitat of a neighborhood. Here's a page of interesting information about the American River Otter from the National Wildlife Federation.
