Otter spotted for first time in 100 years in New York City’s Bronx River

An otter has been spotted in the Bronx River for the first time in more than 100 years, in a further sign that New York’s previously befouled waterways are recovering some of their ecological health.

The North American river otter was photographed by a motion-activated camera foraging near some vegetation in the Bronx River, a waterway that flows through New York’s Bronx and empties into the East River.

The image, captured in June by the camera of RJ Hawkins, a scientist affiliated with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx zoo, is the first documented sighting of a river otter in the river since the early 1900s, according to the society.

“When I first reviewed the images, I could hardly believe what I was seeing,” said Hawkins. “Knowing this may be the first documented river otter in the Bronx in generations was an incredible moment. It shows why long-term wildlife monitoring and environmental restoration efforts matter.”

River otters are found across North America and were once plentiful in New York’s rivers but vanished due to rampant water pollution, habitat loss and trapping for their fur.

The Bronx River, in particular, was treated as an open sewer and a dumping ground for New York’s rapidly expanding industrial base as the city grew into an economic powerhouse in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Factories and slaughterhouses dumped chemicals, oil and animal blood directly into the water, with untreated sewage also seeping into the waterway. The river faced the further indignity of becoming a sort of garbage tip, as people threw old tires, appliances and other unwanted materials into it.

This decimated local wildlife, but concerted conservation efforts and laws such as the Clean Water Act have in recent years helped restore the Bronx River’s fortunes, to the point that species such as oysters have returned.

In 2007, beavers returned to the river for the first time in more than 200 years, the zoo said, and the appearance of a river otter suggests the waterway, which is New York City’s only freshwater river, is continuing to recover from decades of pollution.

While the sighting of a single otter doesn’t confirm a larger resident population, it is encouraging as river otters require clean water and abundant fish.

Measuring up to 5ft in length and sporting a muscular tail that comprises 40% of their body, river otters are considered playful creatures and adept hunters. When frightened, they can emit a scream that can be heard 1.5 miles away.

“There are moments in conservation that remind us why this work matters, and this is one of them,” said Craig Piper, director of Bronx zoo.

“Thanks to a broad coalition of public and private partners, we can celebrate the return of an otter as a result of decades of restoration work to provide cleaner water and healthier habitat. It’s a win for both wildlife and people.”