BACK AFTER A CENTURY!

A rather unexpected visitor has appeared along the Bronx River — for the first time in around a century.

A motion-activated wildlife camera captured a North American river otter foraging beside the river in June. The remarkable image is believed to be the first documented sighting of the species in the Bronx section of the river since the early 1900s. 

River otters once thrived in New York’s waterways, but pollution, habitat loss and trapping caused them to disappear from the area. The Bronx River itself suffered particularly badly, becoming heavily contaminated by sewage and industrial waste. 

After decades of work to clean up and restore the river, wildlife has gradually begun returning — and the appearance of an otter is an especially encouraging sign.

It may only be one furry visitor for now, but after an absence of around 100 years, we’d say that’s quite a comeback. 🦦