Otters have made a significant return to New Mexico, decades after they were last seen in the state. The reintroduction program by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) has successfully brought back otters to the region, with their numbers increasing and range expanding.

James Stuart, a nongame mammal specialist with NMDGF, is set to discuss this successful otter restoration initiative on November 13. He will be speaking at the New Mexico Wildlife Federation’s “Wildlife Wednesday” event.

Between 2008 and 2010, 33 river otters were released into the Rio Pueblo de Taos on Taos Pueblo land. To enhance genetic diversity, nine more otters were introduced this spring. Initially sourced from Washington State, recent additions came from Louisiana, with plans for more if available next year.

A study by the University of Kentucky in 2019 found that the otter population along the Rio Grande had grown to between 83 and 100 animals but noted low genetic diversity. Other states have also introduced otters from various locations to ensure healthy genetics.

“We really don’t know how much differentiation there is across the continent,” Stuart remarked regarding otter genetics. He highlighted that while many states use Louisiana as a source, Arizona's otters on the Rio Verde have persisted for decades with this origin.

Stuart described large male otters as weighing close to 20 pounds and being adept swimmers who primarily eat fish and crayfish. Predators such as bobcats and mountain lions pose threats only when otters are out of water.

The historical presence of otters in New Mexico is unclear. The last recorded sighting before current efforts was in the Gila River during the 1950s. A publication by biologist Vernon Bailey in 1931 contained minimal evidence of their existence at that time.

The widespread beaver trapping during the late 19th and early 20th centuries likely contributed to their decline due to habitat overlap between beavers and otters.

Since their release in Rio Pueblo, otters have expanded throughout Upper Rio Grande drainage areas, even reaching small streams like those near Taos Ski Valley.

New Mexico’s restoration efforts began in the 1980s but faced challenges over concerns about potentially existing native subspecies. The New Mexico State Game Commission required feasibility studies before approving reintroduction efforts in 2006.

The department encourages public reporting of sightings which have occurred along major rivers like San Juan and Canadian Rivers, with confirmed reports as far as Eagle Nest Lake area.

Stuart's presentation will take place at Marble Brewery’s Northeast Heights Taproom in Albuquerque at 5:30 p.m., November 13.