YELLOWSTONE'S WILD WORLD

I just realized the summer is almost over and I haven’t posted anything about the Trout Lake otters. The reason I haven’t is because, for the first time in at least five years, there weren’t any babies this year. The female that had 3 babies at Trout Lake last year was there this year with her 1 remaining baby, who is now almost full grown. I don’t know if that kept any other otters from moving in or not. I just know she and her yearling were the only otters there this summer. Several years ago there were 2 adult females with babies. One had 2 babies and the other had 3. I heard those 2 females were sisters, but I don’t know if that is true. I do know they occasionally played together, frequently ate together, and at least once had a knock down drag out fight. I don’t know who won that fight because it was in the water and all you could see was a blob of 7 otters splashing enough water to empty the lake. Well not really, but they were really going after each other.
I wanted to post some photos of last year’s otters because I enjoyed watching them so much. I have heard it said that the only reason otter mamas have babies is so they will have someone to play with. I know that isn’t true but you would have thought it was if you had seen the mama and 3 babies last year. Most otter mamas will happily play with their babies but the babies usually initiate it. This mama played and played with her babies and she often initiated the play.

Almost all of the people I have seen at Trout Lake are very respectful of the otters. They don’t get too close and they are very quiet when the otters are out. Sometimes, when the otters do something especially cute or funny I’ve heard either a sigh or a quiet laugh go through the crowd. That is when I really enjoy the otters, when I know I am with other people who love them as much as I do. (I’m talking to you Deby.) I actually do know one person who got to close to an otter once, me. I was sitting on the den side of the lake eating lunch without an otter in sight, a good way from the den, but close to the water. I suddenly noticed a baby otter had stuck its head between the ground and a log and was looking right at me only a few feet away. I didn’t move because I didn’t want to scare the otter. It looked at me for a few seconds and then went about its business. Then I did move. The otter couldn’t have cared less.

Almost all of the people I have seen at Trout Lake are very respectful of the otters. They don’t get too close and they are very quiet when the otters are out. Sometimes, when the otters do something especially cute or funny I’ve heard either a sigh or a quiet laugh go through the crowd. That is when I really enjoy the otters, when I know I am with other people who love them as much as I do. (I’m talking to you Deby.) I actually do know one person who got to close to an otter once, me. I was sitting on the den side of the lake eating lunch without an otter in sight, a good way from the den, but close to the water. I suddenly noticed a baby otter had stuck its head between the ground and a log and was looking right at me only a few feet away. I didn’t move because I didn’t want to scare the otter. It looked at me for a few seconds and then went about its business. Then I did move. The otter couldn’t have cared less.

All of the photos I take are really movies. I have a program that makes stills of individual frames. The next two photos are really better as a movie but I think you will get the idea. The otter on the bottom is Mom. She has a fish tail in her mouth. I don’t know why but otters seem to especially enjoy the two ends of a trout, the head and the tail. She was enjoying her fish tail when the baby, on top of her, decided to sneak up and try to steal the tail. The only problem was that he was sneaking up by walking on his mom. I don’t know what he was thinking but it was really funny. He did not get the tail from his mom.