First time in 100 years, North American river otter spotted in the Bronx River: 'I could hardly believe what I was seeing'

North American river otter spotted in the Bronx River after 100 years. By the early 1990s, river otters became a rare sight in the Bronx section of the Bronx River. Wildlife enthusiasts were jumping in joy when something like a river otter was spotted on camera on June 23. The zoo officials later confirmed that it was indeed a North American river otter making its first appearance after a century in this side of the river."When I first reviewed the images, I could hardly believe what I was seeing," said Hawkins, a graduate of the Miami University of Ohio Advanced Inquiry Program hosted at the Bronx Zoo. "Knowing this may be the first documented river otter in the Bronx in generations was an incredible moment."Hawkins captured the image while conducting long-term camera-trap monitoring of wildlife along the river overseen by the WCS's Bronx-based Education Department. Craig Piper, director of the Bronx Zoo and an interim vice president with WCS's Zoos & Aquarium, called it a "win for both wildlife and people.""There are moments in conservation that remind us why this work matters, and this is one of them," Piper said in a statement. "Thanks to a broad coalition of public and pri...