by Karen James, Senior Field Volunteer, River Otter Ecology Project
Otters are my passion. I leap at any chance to observe these charismatic beings. I am very fortunate that I live in an urban area that has quite few of them. One such place is a subdivision in Concord, CA called Turtle Creek. For several years, friends have been telling me about the otters that make Turtle Creek and the surrounding area their home. They send me photos and even call when the otters are out, but by the time I get there they are usually long gone. Well, this year was different.
I had any early morning appointment in Turtle Creek. As usual I glanced over at the pond across from the cul-de-sac in the hopes of seeing an otter. Lo and behold, as I looked over, up popped an otter head. I was beside myself. I had a work to do, so I tore my gaze from the pond, hoping that when I was done the otter would still be there. An hour later I could barely contain myself as I headed out the door and to the pond. I was in for a surprise. Not only was there one otter but there was a mother with 3 very young offspring. I spent an hour mesmerized by them.
She had three very hungry mouths to feed. She stashed her young in the water plants along the shore of the pond and to hunt for crayfish. Once she got one she would head into the plants to feed the pups. After some time, the pups came out with mom and stuck to her like glue. If she dove for crayfish the pups made little squeaking sounds until she reappeared. Occasionally she would bring a live crayfish to the shore and teach the pups how hunt and eat it. It was funny to watch as they wrestled with each other for the delectable treat and sometimes lost it. Unfortunately, I had to leave this little family as I had other work to do.
I had decided that I would go back later that day. I arrived around 4:00pm and the little family was still there. I invited a friend who had never seen the otters to join me. We spent several hours just watching this family as mom fed and taught her youngsters how to hunt and play. What a treat to spend so much time in the company of these amazing animals. It was difficult to leave! Later that evening I received a message that a resident of Turtle Creek was distressed about an incident that evening that involved the otters. Apparently a father and his three young sons were at the pond. The three boys were taunting the pups and tried to catch one. Thankfully, they were not able to get close enough to succeed. This could have ended in tragedy for both the otters and the boys, had they reached the pups.
The mother was distressed, but thankfully the pups took refuge in a culvert out of harm’s way. The resident who witnessed this incident did not feel comfortable confronting this father about the actions of his sons. We at River Otter Ecology Project came up with a plan to educate the Turtle Creek residents on how to be around otters, to keep both otters and humans safe. We created a sign to place at the ponds to educate residents about proper and safe etiquette around otters. I wrote an article for their homeowners association newsletter about the importance of otters in urban areas and why they are in our waterways, lakes, and ponds. I have been back to the ponds several times and have had several interactions with many residents of Turtle Creek. The response to the signage has been wonderful. The residents are grateful for the information and they truly love having the otters there. And so do we! Thanks to the good people of Turtle Creek!
