{"id":35308,"date":"2022-10-24T16:30:45","date_gmt":"2022-10-24T21:30:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/?p=35308"},"modified":"2022-10-25T14:08:54","modified_gmt":"2022-10-25T19:08:54","slug":"this-is-what-its-all-about-oklahoma-wildlife-center-releases-rehabilitated-river-otters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2022\/10\/24\/this-is-what-its-all-about-oklahoma-wildlife-center-releases-rehabilitated-river-otters\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018This is what it\u2019s all about\u2019: Oklahoma wildlife center releases rehabilitated river otters"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the waters of the Canadian River flowed through its reedy banks, four adolescent river otters poured out of their crates, scampered through the marsh and splashed into the muddy water.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Beth Wallis\/StateImpact Oklahoma<\/p>\n

WildCare staff members carry kennels of the adolescent otters to their release point.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Against a gentle current, the otters flipped and rolled through the water, diving and dunking, with what can only be described as absolute otter bliss. Within minutes, the four disappeared around the bend, exploring their new home.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Beth Wallis\/StateImpact Oklahoma<\/p>\n

Otters wait to be released on the banks of the Canadian River.<\/p>\n<\/div>

The otters were rehabilitated and released in mid-October by <\/span>WildCare Oklahoma<\/span><\/a>, a nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation facility in Noble. Animal care staff raised the otters since they were just a few weeks old, dreaming of a successful release day like this.<\/span><\/p>

As the otters\u2019 bouncing heads receded further away, Animal Care Manager Hannah Altonji began to get a little emotional.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI definitely teared up. It\u2019s a very special day to have these otters released,\u201d Altonji said. \u201cWe were responsible for hand-feeding when they were still eyes-closed, little small fat potatoes. And now, to see them swim on this river, it was a very exciting day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Beth Wallis\/StateImpact Oklahoma<\/p>\n

WildCare staff members gather at the riverbank to watch the otters swim away.<\/p>\n<\/div>

A tragic start, a happy ending<\/b><\/p>

Three of the otters are littermates that lost their mother before they\u2019d even opened their eyes when she was crushed by an oil rig. A few weeks later, another abandoned otter pup joined the group \u2014 beginning the newest phase of the quartet\u2019s young lives: rehabilitation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Beth Wallis\/StateImpact Oklahoma<\/p>\n

A river otter pup is held by a WildCare staff member.<\/p>\n<\/div>

WildCare staff raised the otter pups from bottle-suckling, \u201csmall, fat potatoes\u201d that still needed help with burping and going to the bathroom, to exuberant adolescents scurrying and swimming around their outdoor enclosure, smacking their mouths unabashedly<\/a> as they dined on fish.<\/span><\/p>

But rehabbing four wild animals requires patience and expertise. The staff took special care to prevent the otters from habituating to people. Habituating can be dangerous \u2014 even deadly \u2014 said Dr. Kyle Abbott, WildCare\u2019s veterinarian.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cHow do you hand raise an animal and get it to still be a successful animal in the wild?\u201d Abbott said. \u201c[When] we do see more of the habituation, [there are] behavioral problems where those animals will not display the appropriate fear of humans and actually approach us. \u2026 We\u2019re trying to teach them, we\u2019re human, you\u2019re an animal. You\u2019ve got to go away from us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Beth Wallis\/StateImpact Oklahoma<\/p>\n

Baby otters are at a higher risk of aspiration, says WildCare veterinarian Dr. Kyle Abbott. He says staff have to be careful while feeding, and the babies underwent weekly chest x-rays to make sure there was no pneumonia.<\/p>\n<\/div>

For animals like baby otters that require a high level of care, Abbott said the rehab minimizes human exposure as much as possible. For example, staff members keep conversations sparse and at a whisper during otter feedings so they don\u2019t get as used to human voices. Once they\u2019re eating on their own, Abbott said the team only interacts with them when necessary.<\/span><\/p>

Even still, these otters have interacted with humans substantially more than the average wild otter, so WildCare organized a \u201csoft release\u201d for this group of four. A homeowner near the river has volunteered to keep an eye on the otters and report back to WildCare, as well as bring them regular trays of fish. With any luck, the otters will spread out over miles of their new habitat within a week or two, and they\u2019ll finally be on their own.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Beth Wallis\/StateImpact Oklahoma<\/p>\n

A baby otter lies on a blanket before being fed by WildCare staff.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Otters in OK<\/b><\/p>

Oklahoma\u2019s otter population <\/span>got a big boost<\/span><\/a> in the mid-80s, when the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reintroduced the species from Louisiana to eastern Oklahoma. River otters are now distributed throughout the eastern half of the state, especially concentrated in the southeast region.<\/span><\/p>

Otters tend to travel long distances \u2014 up to about 20 miles \u2014 and at about 2 years old, they begin to mate and produce their own litters. Otters often commandeer other animals\u2019 shelters, like beaver dens, for their own. In captivity, otters can live up to about 20 years, but in the wild, that number shrinks to about 5 years.<\/span><\/p>

While the rambunctious river weasels may seem cute and cuddly, Abbott said not only is it dangerous for the otters if people approach them, it can also be dangerous for humans. Otters have strong jaws and especially sharp teeth meant for latching onto struggling prey and ripping into flesh.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

While Oklahoma\u2019s otter population is in relatively good shape, habitat water quality is important to monitor, Abbott said. As <\/span>climate change continues to impact<\/span><\/a> fish populations across the country, the river otter\u2019s future could hang in the balance.<\/span><\/p>

As for the WildCare Four, what began as a rough preface to life has culminated in a new, wild chapter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThis is what it is all about. We always have this goal at the very end in our minds,\u201d Abbott said. \u201cWhen we\u2019re working with them, even when they\u2019re really tiny, we know that at the end of the day, we\u2019re going to get them out here, back into the wild.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Beth Wallis\/StateImpact Oklahoma<\/p>\n

After release, two rehabilitated otters swim down the Canadian River.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the waters of the Canadian River flowed through its reedy banks, four adolescent river otters poured out of their crates, scampered through the marsh and splashed into the muddy water.Against a gentle current, the otters flipped and rolled through the water, diving and dunking, with what can only be described as absolute otter bliss. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":216,"featured_media":35320,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[491],"tags":[1472,1473,1439,656],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35308"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/216"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35308"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35339,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35308\/revisions\/35339"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35320"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}