The many place names (especially streams) with “otter,” from the North Carolina coast to the mountainous southwestern part of the state, demonstrates their strong presence historically.

River otters were among the most widely distributed mammals statewide and across America until European settlers began trapping them and exporting their pelts.

By the late 1800s and early 1900s, river otters had disappeared from much of their historic range. Populations in the coastal region survived, likely due to the abundance of food and the inaccessibility of large swamps to hunters and trappers.

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