River otters were extirpated from much of their North American range by trapping and pollution but have recovered substantially following reintroductions, clean water legislation, and trapping reforms.
River otter welfare recovery is a genuinely positive conservation story, though ongoing trapping means individual welfare harms persist. Leg-hold and conibear traps cause acute injury and death. In states with active reintroduction histories, trapping regulations have sometimes not kept pace with population recovery. Otters in clean, fish-rich waterways with undisturbed bank habitat exhibit high welfare indicators: active play behaviour, successful breeding, and diverse foraging. Water quality is the most fundamental welfare determinant for river otters: polluted water reduces fish prey and accumulates toxins in otter tissue. Continued investment in clean water and riparian habitat protection sustains the recovery.