Eurasian and North American river otter reintroductions have demonstrated how restoring apex predators improves ecosystem health and the welfare of otter populations previously lost from river systems.
Reintroduction programs must prioritize the welfare of individual animals throughout the process. Capture stress, transport, captivity during holding, and the challenges of learning to survive in unfamiliar habitat all represent welfare costs to reintroduced individuals. Best practices include extended soft-release programs that allow gradual habituation to release sites, welfare assessment before and after release, post-release monitoring to identify struggling individuals, and population-level monitoring to confirm establishment. When successful, reintroduction restores not just ecological function but the opportunity for future generations of otters to live natural lives in suitable habitat.