research project details
Project Title: River otter reintroduction fund
Investigator(s): Robert Brooks
Sponsor: Various sources
Environmental Problem Addressed: 
Restoration of endangered/threatened species.
Research Project Objectives:
Reintroduce river otters to Pennsylvania’s streams.
Summary:
Before European settlement, populations of river otters were distributed throughout the continental United States. By the early 1900s, unregulated trapping, pollution of waterways and loss of habitat severely reduced otter populations.
This fund supports river otter reintroduction research in Pennsylvania. To date, more than 110 river otters have been released in Pennsylvania by a cooperative of state agencies. Otter reproduction has been documented at several locations.