Scientists Again Outwitted by Small Furry Animals

It hasn’t been a good couple of months for scientists involved with small, furry animals. First there was the trio of bubonic-plague-infected mice that disappeared from the lab in Newark, New Jersey. No one has been able to determine if there was a mouse accounting error, if other mice ate the missing ones, or if they have actually gotten out into urban New Jersey. Then, there were the scientists who were trying to find out how rats that suddenly appear on previously rat-free islands could be captured and eradicated. The one rat they let loose could not be tracked down for months, even with a radio collar on him. And now it is revealed that it is not only rats that are outwitting modern science. Apparently, other animals are rallying to the cause. No longer willing to be poked, prodded, chased and relocated, the animal kingdom is fighting back, and learning quickly, that in this battle of wits, their opponents are unarmed.

For quite a few years now, the federal government, as perhaps a sister project to the Witness Relocation Program, has been capturing otters who have the audacity to live in federally-declared otter-free zones and relocating them at a cost of $6,000 - $12,000 per otter. The point of this program was to move otters from their natural habitats to somewhere that scientists considered similar, in order to keep the otters (which had been previously hunted to near extinction) from bothering commercial fishermen. The otters, rebels that they are, manage to navigate themselves back, hundreds of miles, in as little as six months. They are re-captured, re-released, and the game goes on.

Now I know that not only are otters intelligent mammals, they are also very playful. I am sure they are enjoying this game immensely. If they knew how many millions of dollars had been spent on it, they would probably laugh themselves silly.

This week, according to an article on CNN.com – the government scientists are just about ready to admit defeat. The otters have won. Score another point to the small furry animal rebels! Now, let’s see if there is a lesson in here somewhere - how much better if those millions of federal dollars could be spent on developing fishing methods that are more environmentally friendly? Maybe we could hire the otters as consultants. Read the article: CNN.com - Otters winning battle of wits - Nov 16, 2005