Had a river otter in one of my ponds last spring. When I approached the pond , I saw a half eaten large catfish on the bank, and the otter swimming out in the pond. I couldn't believe how big the thing was. They move in the spring, looking for mates, and I never saw the otter again. I did see a dead one on the highway this weekend, so they must be on the move. Have a friend who has raised Coy for over 20 years and he said that last year he lost 20 years of breeding stock in one night, thanks to otters. They are being released into the wild and their numbers are increasing rapidly. This is not good news for pond owners.
