Presentation: An Otter Runs Through It - Shawn Rossler

River otters (Lontra canadensis) are deeply rooted in Wisconsin history and were abundant throughout the region prior to European settlement and the fur trade.  Habitat changes and unregulated trapping into the early 1900’s reduced otter populations to near extinction levels.  Through protections and recovered habitats, otter populations increased during the mid-20th century and are doing well today.  We will look at the ecology of this semi-aquatic mustelid, dive into their current distribution and cover efforts the Wisconsin DNR is taking to monitor river otter population trends moving forward.

Shawn has worked as the Wisconsin DNR’s furbearer specialist since 2016.  Prior to working with the Wisconsin DNR, Shawn spent time with several agencies in the states of Indiana, Wisconsin and California working on furbearer related projects.  Shawn has a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Central Michigan University

Join us for Shawn’s presentation on Wednesday, February 19th at 7pm. ALAS programs for the…