At first glance, an enclosure in a Bend wildlife rescue looks like a puppy or bunny kennel. There’s a plastic crate, metal water bowls and a plush toy dog.

What lives inside isn’t a dog or a bunny: It’s two river otters.

Two weeks ago, Park Ranger Tyler Banks discovered three orphaned otter pups along the road in Cove Palisades State Park in Jefferson County. The pups were in critical condition, so they were transported to Think Wild, a wildlife rescue in Bend. One of the otters died on the way, but the other two, likely one female and one male but still undetermined, arrived safely and received care.

Arriving just under 1 pound and about 1 foot long, the otter pups have doubled in size since they arrived at Think Wild. They’ve begun participating in “normal river otter behaviors,” including marking their scents on objects in their enclosure and playing with each other, according to Molly Honea, development and communications coordinator of Think Wild.

River otter life

There are multiple reasons why the otters might have been orphaned from their mother, including accidental or illegal trapping or being hit by a car. However, it is unconfirmed why these otters were orphaned.

Normally, when otter pups are orphaned, they are reunited with a nearby adult since there are no river otter rescues in Central Oregon. However, with the pups in critical condition they were transported to Think Wild so they could receive temporary care.

These river otters are the first to receive care from Think Wild since it opened in 2020.

Since they will likely be released into the wild, their care is specialized so they don’t habituate to humans. People who feed them gear up in full camouflage ghillie suits, boots and face masks to block their human scent.

If the otters were to get accustomed to humans, they may begin to associate food with human scents. If they are released back into the wild, they may not be able to hunt properly and die.

Where otters live

In Oregon, river otters are mainly located west of the Cascade Range but are also found in Central Oregon. They live both on land and in rivers, lakes, ponds or marshes, according to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s website.

In Deschutes County, river otters are commonly found in riparian areas where there is deep, flowing water. There, they can swim, hunt or seek shelter, according to Sally Compton, executive director of Think Wild.

“(River otters) do have cute babies this time of year,” said District Wildlife Biologist Andrew Walch of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Walch said river otters are prolific in Central Oregon, especially in Smith Rock State Park, lakes and even backyard ponds. They travel over land much farther than beavers, Walch said.

Compton recommends walking along the Deschutes River Trail early in the morning and looking in slow-moving areas of the water to spot an otter or two.

You can also search for otter signs by the river bank, where otters often leave tracks in the mud or “slides” where vegetation is muddy or flattened.

This is where they slide in to access the river, said Compton.

“If you find a river otter pup alone in the wild, do not assume that they are injured or orphaned,” Compton said.

Instead, Compton said to wait a couple hours and keep a healthy distance from the animal to see if the parent returns. If the parent does not return, is found deceased or for general advice, call Think Wild’s hotline at 541-241-8680, said Compton.

What’s next

The Think Wild river otters will be transported to the Wildlife Center of the North Coast in Astoria, where they will receive specialized care.

From there, they will need eight months to two years of rehabilitative care, including learning how to swim from rehabilitators, before they can be released back to the wild.

Luckily, with two otters they can learn how to “act” like otters from each other, said Stefanie Collar, senior rehabilitation specialist at Wildlife Center of the North Coast.

Afterwards, the otters will be transported back to Central Oregon and released near where they were found to live with other adult river otters, said Pauline Hice, director of wildlife rehabilitation at Think Wild.

“We’re lucky that we have so much community engagement,” said Collar. “That’s one of the reasons that we can really take these otters and we feel good and excited about it.”