FISH BONES AND SCAT PILES: OTTERS IN THE WILD

through Cooke City, MT, I drove directly to the trailhead for Trout Lake. The easy hike up to the lake, 0.06 miles with an elevation gain of 120 feet, rewarded me with the “holy grail” of river otter viewing! I watched a mother otter and her three pups, undisturbed, for over two hours, sharing the experience with only one other observer. The mother fished at the inlet and brought cutthroat trout to her pups. Two pups, we named them “the girls,” stayed close to mom, riding on her back and paying close attention to her every move. The third pup, a park ranger, we named “Trouble,” always lagged behind, was intrigued with all that he played with, including a half-eaten fish, and often wandered off in the opposite direction from mom. I watched