Focus on Talbot: River Otters Do It Too! By Dan Watson

Just after noon yesterday our dog Inky was at the window barking up a storm, looking at something near the river. Well, “focusing on Talbot,” here were two of out County’s very finest specimen of River Otter up on the lawn maybe 20 feet from river’s edge, making whoopee like there’s no tomorrow.

We see River Otter on occasion–not more than once or twice a year. (This is on the Miles, about a mile downriver from the Unionville Bridge.) Usually it’s just a glance as one swims past, or comes up for a look-about. Even that is fun…but this was different.

It was not quite a fight, but it sure wasn’t for the faint of heart either. Mr. Otter probably had 20% more length and 40% more heft to him. Ms. Otter seemed to be working hard to wriggle free, in among all that shuddering and rolling about. Who really knows? Over 5 minutes or so Ethel dragged Orville along the grass maybe another 10 feet or so, when she was able to get out from under.

They separated by 10 or 15 feet and each rolled around on the turf for a minute or two, shaking it off. Then, to our surprise, both took off at a fast run around the house to the big freshwater pond behind the house. They dove in but didn’t stay long; we last saw them running west, but still well up on the neighbors’ property. So keep an eye out for Orville and Ethel Otter! We hope they and their offspring show up again.

The website we checked said that 2-6 Lontra canadensis “kits” (not pups) could be born of this, but not till next winter or early spring due to delayed implantation. River Otter are not exactly rare around here, but it’s wonderful to encounter part of our natural environment at such a dramatic and hopefully fruitful moment.

Dan Watson is the former chair of Bipartisan Coalition For New Council Leadership and has lived in Talbot County for the last twenty-five years.