River otter spotted in Bronx River for first time in century

A North American river otter was documented in the Bronx River for the first time in approximately 100 years, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo.

A motion-activated camera deployed by local scientist RJ Hawkins and overseen by the WCS's Education Department at the Bronx Zoo captured the image on June 23. The photograph shows the otter foraging near aquatic vegetation in the waterway. Zoo officials said they believe this is the first documented sighting of a river otter in the Bronx since the early 1900s.

Hawkins, who set up the camera, said he was initially stunned by the discovery. "When I first reviewed the images, I could hardly believe what I was seeing," he said. "Knowing this may be the first documented river otter in the Bronx in generations was an incredible moment."

River otters were once common throughout New York's waterways but disappeared over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries. The animals vanished due to severe water pollution, habitat loss, and hunting for their fur. The Bronx River in particular was used as a sewage channel and dumping ground during that period, with factories and slaughterhouses discharging waste into the waterway.

The otter sighting comes as part of broader restoration efforts in the Bronx River. The Wildlife Conservation Society indicated that the presence of the otter suggests that restorative work on the previously polluted waterway is yielding results. The Bronx River flows through New York's Bronx borough and empties into the East River.

Hawkins emphasized the importance of long-term wildlife monitoring and environmental restoration in detecting such recoveries. The discovery was confirmed by multiple wildlife officials and documented through the motion-activated camera system.