New York River Otter Project 1995 Phone Case

Historically, river otters could be found throughout New York State, but they drastically declined due to unregulated hunting, habitat destruction, and pollution. By the early '90s, the river otter was only found in the eastern half of the state, and a plan was put in place to change that. The New York River Otter Project was a public/private effort that helped bring river otters back to Western New York. With the help of volunteers and state environmental staff, between 1995 and 2000, over 280 otters were relocated from Eastern New York to 16 different sites across the western part of the state. The New York River Otter Project is considered one of the most successful otter restoration projects ever, as populations continue to thrive.