Playful River Otters Up Close at Ford's Pond in Sutherlin
4:03 AM · Jan 19, 2025
I had a pretty amazing encounter up close with several river otters at Ford’s Pond in Sutherlin recently. These river otters are fascinating animals, very curious, and playful. They reminded me of a dog’s playfulness. More than once, they swam up close to check out my brother and I. They seemed amused. When the otters were hunting for fish, we noticed something interesting. Together they were all swimming around the fish and forcing them to the surface. When all the fish had nowhere to go, they jumped around at the surface. This made catching them much easier. After a catch, the otters would bring the fish over and eat them on the log right in front of us. Sometimes they would have a little fun with a fish - an otter would catch one, bring it to the log, set it down, and wait for it to flop off. Then race after it, haha. Almost like they were hunting for sport as well as for food. It was such a cool experience!
Incredible footage Elijah! Well done!
Jan 19
That is an amazing video! Thanks for sharing.
Jan 19
Where do the Otters and the fish come from?
Jan 19
I believe they come from a nearby creek that connects to Ford's Pond.
Jan 20
The otters live at Ford's Pond and range to nearby creeks as well. The fish (all I've seen being eaten are crappie) have been in Ford's Pond for many decades, originally stocked by owners or fishermen. I don't know if they were completely lost when the pond was drained many years ago but even if they were lost, ponds such as this often get stocked, legally or illegally, haha. Also in the pond are bullheads, bluegill, perch, largemouth bass, mosquitofish, and possibly others.
Jan 20
I love otters, except when I'm fishing. As soon as you see an otter, it's time to move to move to a new fishing spot or your done catching fish.
Jan 20