National Park Service confirms river otters rebounding

River otters

A National Park Service study recently confirmed the presence of river otters throughout the entire length of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area corridor!

These playful animals eat fish, crayfish, frogs and small mammals. Members of the weasel family, river otter were once abundant throughout Canada and United States. However, due to trapping, loss of habitat and significant water pollution, these mammals were nearly extinct in the Minnesota stretch of the Mississippi River by the 1950s.

Read about their rebound in the National Park Service otter study, conducted by NPS biologists over the 2010-2011 winter.

For more information on river otters in general, visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website or National Geographic .