I’m Otter-ly Loving Him, But He Has To Go...

So we’ve had otters around the big pond for the past few weeks. Having not seen any here before, I had to do some research to find out more about them.

Otters were once practically extinct in Iowa until the 1980s when they were reintroduced. Now there are thousands of them, and they can be found in all 99 counties.

They often take over another animals burrow once it’s left, and we have some beaver holes that would be perfect for otters. We haven’t seen babies yet, but the mama otters will use the underwater entrances to raise their babies. We haven’t seen babies, but I’m sure they’re there, too.

I didn’t realize how big otters could be, either. The DNR says they can be as much as 5 feet long, and a third of that is their rudder-like tail.

They’re completely adorable and I love them, but they have got to go. This absolutely breaks my heart, but there’s a very important reason they can’t stay. They are carnivores - they eat meat - and their favorite is fish. Our fish. Lots of fish. If we want the fish, we can’t share them with the otters.

Do I want otters? Yes, they’re fascinating creatures. But do I want fish more? For us and for our friends and family, absolutely yes.

So for the time being they’ll be cute and photogenic. That part I like. And no, I’m not allowed to relocate them to the bathtub in the spare bathroom. I tried that suggestion...

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