Otters Romp in Reed Canyon

Sinuous semiaquatic mammals set up camp in Reed’s wild watershed.

A bevy of otters appears to have established itself in the Reed Canyon in recent weeks, according to Canyon Czar Zac Perry. “I saw four of them swimming together this morning,” he says. “It looks to me like they’ll be here for a spell.”

The otters were spotted near an old beaver den in a Douglas fir tree below the Cerf Amphitheatre. “Otters are opportunists,” says Perry. “Beavers will actually build a den. When they move on, the otters will move in.”

Reed’s ongoing efforts to restore the canyon have attracted many kinds of wildlife in recent years, including otters, beavers, steelhead trout, kingfishers, eagles, coyotes, and the occasional English major. The otters come and go depending on their food supply, says Perry. They typically feast on coho salmon in October and steelhead trout in February.

In the meantime, mark your calendar for Canyon Day on Saturday, October 27. Besides working late in the library, it’s Reed’s oldest tradition.

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