River Otter History in New York State
Over 200 years ago the river otter could be found in every watershed across New York State. Otter trapping became a profitable enterprise in the 18th and 19th centuries so much so that otter became confined to remote parts of the Adirondacks. Because populations were getting so low, in 1936 New York passed legislation closing otter trapping for nine years. During this period, otter populations increased enough so that in 1945 trapping was reopened with stricter regulations to aid in repopulation.
.gif)
Recovery from population decline is a slow process for the otter because they have a low reproductive rate. This graph shows the number of otter trapped each year in New York State. Even though there are fewer trappers today than there once were, the number of otter trapped has been increasing. This is because the number and range of otter has expanded.
This map shows the distribution of river otter in New York State based on trapping returns between the years 1984-1998. Trapping is not permitted in certain areas of the state and otter in those areas are not represented on this map.
New York's river otter population in on the increase due to cleaner waters and proper management. It was predicted that with current rates of expansion, otter would spread to the entire state in about 50 years. Recently, the New York River Otter Project (NYROP) has assisted in the expansion of otter range. Over 270 otter were released in the western regions of the state between 1995 and 2000. Monitoring programs are in place in that area and there is evidence that new populations are being established because some young otter have been spotted.
