First Otter Spotted in Detroit River in Over 100 Years
A man spotted a river otter swimming in the Detroit River in southern Ontario. It was believed to be the first such sighting in over 100 years, according to local reports.
Video taken by marine ecologist Eric Ste Marie shows a North American river otter he said he saw in the Detroit River beneath the Ambassador Bridge on April 25.
“Oh, my gosh. Come out, Mr Otter,” Ste Marie says in the video. “A straight-up river otter in the Detroit River … That’s the last thing I was expecting.”
According to local media, the otter species was more prevalent before Detroit’s motor vehicle industry pushed the population out.
Biologists found the reappearance of the otter to be a good sign for the area’s environmental health, local reports said.
It was believed to be the first sighting in over a century, said the Detroit News. Credit: Eric Ste Marie via Storyful
Video Transcript
ERIC STE MARIE: Oh. Oh my gosh. Come out, mister otter. A straight-up river otter in the Detroit River. Have you ever heard of something so controversial? [CHUCKLES]
- It's amazing. There it is.
ERIC STE MARIE: It's the last thing I was expecting.
- It looks like it's in trouble.
ERIC STE MARIE: Yeah.
Oh. Oh my gosh. Come out, mister otter. A straight-up river otter in the Detroit River. Have you ever heard of something so controversial? [CHUCKLES]
- It's amazing. There it is.
ERIC STE MARIE: It's the last thing I was expecting.
- It looks like it's in trouble.
