Otters in the Park

[Jack M.]

Originally Posted by Barbara

We watched an otter come into the large pool where I was fishing, go underwater several times and come up with a fish. .... I figured he would spook the trout and left.

I would agree with you that sticking around in that pool would have been a bad idea. Kinda like coming up on a beautiful pool with a Great Blue Herron perched above-- might as well just move on.

[golfballs03]

I thought I saw one on the Clinch a few months ago and emailed TWRA about it. This is the response I got:

River Otters historically once occupied all of the river and streams in North America. However, they were extirpated throughout most of their range due to trapping for their valuable fur. In the early 90's the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (along with other states) bought river otters from Louisiana and restored them to east Tennessee. Due to these efforts, otters numbers have rebounded and are now relatively abundant in east Tennessee. We now even have a regulated trapping season for otters. Otter sightings are now common in Tennessee. I observed two otters in the Holston River Friday night.