Baby River Otter gets swimming lesson. [View all]

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Video shows baby river otter receiving first swimming lessons from mom
Oregon Zoo shares natural event you may or may not regard as cute

April 05, 2013 by Pete Thomas

An interesting fact about river otters is that they have to be given swimming lessons by their mothers, and the process may be regarded as cute but also somewhat harsh. Most people would never witness this natural process in the wilderness, but the Oregon Zoo has uploaded a video showing Tilly, the mother otter who was delivered to the zoo as an orphan, teaching 9-week-old Molalla how to swim. The swimming lessons begin at about the 50-second mark. Enjoy:

This reminded me of an encounter wit a River Otter in an isolated area of Northern California, I was Gold panning at the time and the Otter decided to hang out with me, apparently out of curiosity. The Otter didn't get close enough that I could touch it easily but it stayed within a few feet. Why anyone would hurt one is beyond me.