River Otters at Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo

A Woodland Otter Habitat

Set along a quiet bend of Mill Brook Creek, this camera looks out over a naturalistic streamside enclosure shaded by overhanging trees. The gently moving current, mossy banks, and tangled brush recreate the kind of woodland waterway that North American river otters favor in the wild, giving the resident pair room to swim, dive, and forage the way they would along any Hudson Valley creek.

Meet Nash and Scooter

The camera's stars are Nash and Scooter, two North American river otters cared for by the zoo's staff. Streamlined and endlessly curious, otters are built for life in and out of the water, with dense waterproof fur, webbed feet, and a playful energy that shows in every ripple they leave behind as they patrol their stretch of the creek.

An Award-Winning School Zoo

This exhibit belongs to the Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo, founded in 1936 as part of Millbrook School and believed to be the only zoo housed at a high school. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, it is home to roughly 80 species and doubles as a hands-on classroom where students help care for the animals.

A Species Worth Watching

Of the fourteen otter species found worldwide, the North American river otter is the only one not currently considered endangered, making stable, well-managed habitats like this one an important piece of the species' long-term outlook across the continent's rivers and wetlands.