The sighting shows that the revival of the animal, which was once nearly extirpated from Pennsylvania, continues throughout the region.

The river otter ogled the camera, posing for an inadvertent selfie on a chilly winter night. The adult critter explored its surroundings for 45 minutes before slipping off into the darkness, ever elusive.

The unexpected December cameo marked the first known presence of a river otter along the Ridley Creek watershed in Chester County for 100 years, signifying that the revival of the animal, once nearly extirpated from Southeastern Pennsylvania, continues throughout the region.

“We haven’t caught much else by way of footage, but a homeowner has reported seeing it swim in their pond just few weeks ago, which is a good sign that it’s hanging out in the area,” said Lauren McGrath, director of the watershed protection program for the Willistown Conservation Trust, a nonprofit in Chester County.

McGrath’s team installed a game camera on private property to monitor beaver on private land near where the trust recently acquired 90 acres of the 218-acre Kirkwood Farm at Plumstock and Providence Roads in Willistown.

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  • @AngryishHumanoid@reddthat.com
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    512 days ago

    Look this is great and all but unless the otter picked up the camera, looked into the lens and clicked the button no the fuck it did not take a selfie.

    • @MDKAODOP
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      111 days ago

      You must be fun at parties.

      • @AngryishHumanoid@reddthat.com
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        111 days ago

        Yes because of my entertaining karaoke, observational comedy, and ability to accurately describe the difference between posing for a stationary camera and physically picking up a camera and pointing it at oneself.

        Ok it’s more for the first 2, but still.

  • BoofStroke
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    110 days ago

    I was paddling the north branch of the Potomac a few years ago and there were a couple of them on the bank holding hands. Definitely something I never thought I’d see in the wild.