64 WATCHED BY WILD ANIMALS 



go twenty miles up or down stream; or he may 

 traverse the woods to a far-off lake or cross the 

 watershed to the next stream, miles away. 

 He appears to emigrate sometimes goes to 

 live in other scenes. 



These long journeys for food or adventure, 

 sometimes covering weeks, must fill the otter's 

 life with colour and excitement. Swimming miles 

 down a deep watercourse may require only an 

 hour or two. But a journey up stream often to 

 its very source, through cascades and scant water, 

 would often force the travellers out of the channel 

 and offer endless opportunities for slow progress 

 and unexpected happenings. What an experi- 

 ence for the youngsters! 



They may travel in pairs, in families or in 

 numbers. The dangers are hardly to be con- 

 sidered. The grizzly bear could kill with a single 

 bite or stroke of paw; but the agility of the otter 

 would discourage such an attack. A pack of 

 wolves, could they corner the caravan, would 

 likely after severe loss feast on the travellers. 

 The only successful attack that I know of was 

 by a mountain lion on a single otter. Yet so 

 efficient is this long-bodied, deep-biting fellow 

 that I can imagine the mountain lion usually 

 avoiding the otter's trail. 



The long land journeys from water to water 

 appear to call for the greatest resourcefulness 



