This story was produced by My UP News correspondent Schyler Perkins, find the story here.
Three otters were spotted scampering across a canal in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula after a slew of snowstorms and subzero wind chills swept across the region in early- and mid-December.
Hancock resident Shelby Brown captured the moment on Dec. 13.
“Otters are one of my favorite animals and it was just so incredible. Didn’t know we had them up here in the yoop,” said Brown.
“It was almost like a sign things were looking up,” Brown said. “They came across from the Canal, near the Ramada. There are trails up that way that go north so I’m assuming they came from inland but to see them scooting across like that was amazing.”
Otters are native to both Michigan peninsulas but were nearly eradicated by the 1920s after extensive trapping.
“This led to a statewide ban on otter trapping from 1925 through 1939 that caused an excellent population rebound in the north,” said Bill Taylor with the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy. “Limited taking after trapping resumed has helped maintain healthy otter populations there.”
You can learn more about otters in a blog post here.
