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 ortwo. Buta 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 
