COLUMBUS, OH-- Ohio's river otter population is healthy and growing, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Last night, state wildlife biologists proposed to the Ohio Wildlife Council that otters be removed from Ohio's endangered species list.
It's great to once again have otters a part of the Ohio landscape, said Mike Budzik, chief of ODNR's Division of Wildlife. Thanks to reintroduction efforts that began in 1986, otters have made a strong comeback in the Buckeye State.
The Wildlife Council will vote on the proposal to remove otters from the endangered species list on April 10.
River otters are native Ohio furbearers, once common throughout the state. Poor water quality, stream pollution and deforestation during the late 1800s and early 1900s caused their disappearance from Ohio. Clean rivers, streams, ponds and lakes with abundant forage fish are the key ingredients for otters' survival.
Now found in 52 counties, river otters are known to be reproducing in at least 10 watersheds. Otters can grow as large as three feet in length and Ohio otters typically weigh 20 to 25 pounds, with males being somewhat larger than females. Adult females normally give birth to three or four pups per year, but have been known to give birth to as many as six.
In 1986, the ODNR Division of Wildlife began reintroduction efforts by acquiring otters from other states and releasing them into watersheds that had been identified to have suitable otter habitat. Targeted watersheds were estimated to be much cleaner than they had been in the early 1900s.
Trappers in Arkansas and Louisiana used traps to catch otters that were then transported to Ohio. Between 1986 and 1993, 123 river otters were released in four eastern Ohio watersheds: the Grand River (Trumbull and Ashtabula counties), Killbuck Creek (Wayne and Holmes counties), Stillwater Creek (Harrison County), and the Little Muskingum River (Washington County).
ODNR wildlife biologists have conducted aerial surveys during the winter, and kept records of sightings of river otters since the restoration program began.
Documentation played a critical role in the successful reintroduction of otters to our state, said Chris Dwyer, river otter project manager. Today, we can conservatively estimate Ohios otter population is now at least 2,100 animals.
Dwyer said in addition, the wildlife division is conducting radio telemetry studies that will provide further information on the numbers of otters, and their locations throughout Ohio.
Ohio's trappers have been one of the agency's best sources of information regarding otter populations, according to Dwyer.
Trappers see sign such as tracks, and observe the animals when they are out trapping, since otters and beavers use the same habitats. Ohio's trappers have been very diligent in reporting their otter observations, he said.
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana have each conducted similar relocation and reintroduction efforts. Several otters have been reported in Ohio near the Ohio/Indiana border. These animals most likely came from Indiana's release efforts. Some otters might also have come from Michigan, where a viable population has continued to exist.
Other native animals scarce in Ohio 100 years ago and now re-established include the wood duck, bald eagle, wild turkey and the white-tailed deer.