River otter pups face significant mortality in their first year of life, influenced by habitat quality, prey availability, and environmental contaminants.
River otter pups are highly vulnerable in their first months of life, and poor habitat quality translates directly into increased suffering and mortality. Contaminated fish prey expose pups to neurotoxins and reproductive disruptors, impairing development and survival. Maintaining clean waterways and healthy fish populations is essential not just for otter population viability but for the individual welfare of each pup born into compromised environments.