Recorded Pacific Northwest history starts with a 1780s near extinction story, sea otter killed for their pelts with up to 1 million hairs per square inch. The History Farm is designed to take visitors (especially teenagers adverse to reading) for a visual walk-through time, ending at an Extinction Corner with today’s challenges created by this writer’s generation. 
It is fitting that NW history starts with an unknowing attempt at eliminating a species. When George Vancouver returned to Nootka Sound in August 1792 (anchored in Birch Bay, WA in June) he was expecting to see ships’ flags (7) of many colors. But that was not the case, many were gone, as were the otter. Man killed them and moved onto the next resource to exhaust. The Northwest was a tough place to get to. Only a few could sail from the Orient and it was almost impossible to tack/sail up the Pacific Coast. No one gave much thought to the fact that sea otter might totally disappear. Today stray populations are being reintroduced here and there and a “raft” (group of otter, if on land a “romp”) was recently sighted off the San Juan Islands. Although not the same genus and smaller – only 1/3rd the size, we do have river otter from time to time in the Gardens, our fuzzy picture attesting. We stay well clear; they are unlike the friendly and evasive beavers and muskrats!
https://www.yahoo.com/news/river-otter-pulls-young-child-235626558.html
https://seaotterfoundationtrust.org/sea-otter-facts/
https://opentextbc.ca/preconfederation2e/chapter/13-3-fur-trade-and-empires/
https://www.kiro7.com/news/brutal-otter-attack-closes-popular-beach-snohomish/82018987/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345391597_Sea_Otters_and_Iron_A_Global_Microhistory_of_Value_and_Exchange_at_Nootka_Sound_1774-1792
https://www.animalevictor.com/facts-about-washington-river-otters.html
https://wsg.washington.edu/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/PNW_semi-aquatic_mammal_guide_L.pdf
https://interpretivecenter.org/all-about-otters/
https://www.seattleaquarium.org/animal/river-otters/
https://www.skagitbeaches.org/creatures-list/178-river-otter.html
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/river-otter-facts-animals-of-north-america.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aEtsSINIbQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npWHjvODds8
Contrary to popular belief, both river and sea otter should be treated with the same respect that one gives a:
bunny rabbit
grizzly bear
hound dog
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