OTTER REINTRODUCTION PROGRAM HAS POPULATIONS ON RISE

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has had its share of success stories in the last 50 years. Game species virtually extinct in the state - the white tail deer, the Canada goose and the wild turkey - have made incredible comebacks.

Now, the river otter will likely be added to that list.

By 1977, the river otter was listed as a state threatened species and viable populations were found only along the Mississippi River in northwestern Illinois and along the Cache River in Southern Illinois.

By 1989 when the river otter was placed on the state endangered list, biologists estimated only about 100 were living in the wild.

A reintroduction movement began in 1993. The program has been successful to the point that the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board is considering taking the river otter off the endangered list.

"Somewhere between five and 10 years, I would see us having a noticeable population of otters across the state," said Bob Bluett, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' furbearer program manager.

The river otter was common in Illinois during the time of European settlement. However, unregulated harvest and habitat degradation made sightings uncommon by the mid-1900s.

Habitat degradation was probably the primary culprit.

"Especially water quality," Bluett said. "You start reading some of the accounts of the Illinois River starting on fire, it's amazing anything could have lived in there. We've done a good job of cleaning up the habitat."

The reintroduction wouldn't have been possible 30 years ago.

"I might not go as far as pristine, but ecologically things have to be in balance," Bluett said. "You have to have the water quality to support the insects and everything else the food chain builds on."

The state purchased more than 300 mature otters from trappers in Louisiana between 1994 and 1997. The otters - 137 in the Wabash River valley, 72 in the Kaskaskia River valley and 137 in the Illinois River valley - were released over three years.

"From 1994-97 I had 38 sightings," Bluett said. "That compares with two sightings from 1983-1993. We've actually had some untagged otters recovered, some road kills and accidental trappings. We tagged all the ones we let go. We know these are the offspring of those otters."

Missouri, Iowa and Indiana had successful reintroduction programs before otters were released in Illinois. Bluett said the Mississippi River population is probably benefitting from releases in Missouri and Iowa.

Much of the data being compiled by the DNR comes from citizens reporting sightings, particularly duck hunters and fishermen, Bluett said.

"Most people are just glad to see them," he said. "In the Big Muddy River basin we've had a good increase in sightings and in some of the tributaries of the Ohio. In northwestern Illinois, they've just exploded. They used to be just along the Mississippi, now they are being found along the Rock River basin."

The nature of the otter makes it relatively easy to gauge the success of the program.

"They are nearsighted, it helps them see under water," Bluett said. "When they see something above the water line, it's kind of blurry to them. They'll come up pretty close. Between that and their curiosity, they're pretty easy to observe."