Otters Are Back in Kentucky | Lexington News

Lexington News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 3, 2026 · 1m

Otters in your backyard? That viral video wasn’t a fluke—it’s a sign of a wild comeback. River otters, nearly wiped out in Kentucky by the 1900s, are thriving thanks to a decades-long reintroduction program that brought hundreds from Louisiana and protected them from hunting. These furry river guardians signal clean water and healthy ecosystems, but experts warn against keeping them as pets—they’re wild, unpredictable, and need their natural habitat. With regulated hunting and careful monitoring, Kentucky’s otter population is flourishing, even showing up in unexpected places when water…