From 1995 to 2001, New York State relocated river otters to the central and western parts of the state, where the species was believed to be extirpated. The recent retrieval of a car-killed river otter was not entirely bad news for the program. A microchip implanted at the time of release indicated it had been released in 2000, making it 12 years old. That’s four years older than the average wild river otter.

Other reports from the public indicate that the river otter has regained a foothold in these areas of the state thanks to the relocation project.

Read more about the relocation project here. (Scroll down to the middle of the newsletter.)

Photo: River otter release in New York State, courtesy of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.

From 1995 to 2001, New York State relocated river otters to the central and western parts of the state, where the species was believed to be extirpated. The recent retrieval of a car-killed river otter was not entirely bad news for the program. A microchip implanted at the time of release indicated it had been released in 2000, making it 12 years old. That’s four years older than the average wild river otter.

Other reports from the public indicate that the river otter has regained a foothold in these areas of the state thanks to the relocation project.

Read more about the relocation project here. (Scroll down to the middle of the newsletter.)

Photo: River otter release in New York State, courtesy of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.