In the editing of this video clip which reduced an episode lasting about 5 minutes into one lasting about a minute, I don't think I cut out any essential event. The clip begins with the three otter pups reuniting just outside the rock dens, looking back at the lodge they left or looking back at the school kids who were just beginning to leave. Then an otter surfaces on the other side of the rock den near a beaver bank lodge that I know the beavers were using at that time. The otter sees me, and, I think that otter was the mother. My presence caused confusion, and the mother went to round up her pups. They surfaced in front of me, none too sure of what to do, nor what new threat (me) had arisen. The mother meanwhile swam back into the rock dens, made sure no pups were there where they would be right below me, and then dove into the water to find them. She also swam back toward, if not into, the bank beaver lodge for fear, if not because, one of the pups strayed into that. Then after some snorting, all the otters disappeared.

Since there was no screeching and no chirping out an alarm, I think the mother was sorting out a bit of momentary confusion, rather than reacting to what she perceived as a perilous situation. In my experience, among the mammals and birds who share it, life in a beaver pond is relatively peaceful. Indeed, I have seen otters and beavers share a lodge, with even a muskrat or two thrown in. But I think there is some tacit understanding among the animals about how this sharing is arranged. Otters have a good deal of respect for beavers, and are careful when getting close to them. For example, here is a pup that came out of the top of a beaver lodge to do his duty and then went back in.

Turn the page to see that: page29