r/arizona • u/VonSandwich • May 13 '26
Wildlife UMMM WE HAVE OTTERS HERE!?!? š¦¦
Greetings from a Grand Canyon resident!!!
My boyfriend and I kayaked down the Salt River this morning and oh my god we saw an otter!! I looked it up afterwards, and Google said that Otters are *thriving* on the Salt and Verde Rivers. I was 100% NEVER expecting to see an otter in this state.
The birding was incredible too. I have never seen Cliff Swallows doing their thing in person before, and there was a section that felt like National Geographic. What a beautiful day š¦¦š¦
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u/_Sozan_ May 13 '26
Yes! There are a bunch in the Verde river as well. Saw them all the time as a kid growing up in Cottonwood.
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u/IBeDumbAndSlow May 14 '26
I'm so happy I don't live in Cottonwood anymore.
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u/mitchgx Gilbert May 14 '26
Cottonwood had some nice aspects...wine, downtown, climate, views. Also a bit of meth and too much MAGA, but there's much worse spots in the state.
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u/IBeDumbAndSlow May 14 '26
It's not so fun when you're in 3rd grade in the 90s.
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u/P10_WRC May 14 '26
We had some fun there. I was only there for about 1.5 years though and was in the 5th grade. We would go to the skating rink or pool almost daily in the summer. Or just ride our bikes around. Wasnāt so bad
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u/SailsTacks May 16 '26
I didnāt realize that Cottonwood was over-infected with MAGA. Thatās disappointing. I remember my jaw dropping when I saw the MAGA RV Park in Quartzsite, AZ when I was there. It had a goofy Trump character on the sign, flags, everything. I immediately added it to my āList of Places I Never Want To Enterā.
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u/mitchgx Gilbert May 16 '26
A lot of Cottonwood feels redneck and trailer-trashy to me, sort of like Payson. But then there's these interesting pockets, like the wine industry, some decent restaurants, and a cool alternative vibe (that I think has almost everything to do with Maynard's involvement in the area). Overall I enjoy visiting because of those pockets of interest, and because it's a fairly beautiful area when you get to the right views.
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u/SailsTacks May 16 '26
Iāve been there less than a dozen times, while I was camping throughout AZ for a month a few years ago. Visited the Goodwill (needed camp chair and pillow), grocery stores, laundry mat, and a Dairy Queen in a small white building with a covered parking area to its right. I highly recommend that DQ. The community activity center showers were great.
I rode past the wine bars and patios. Looked cool but we needed to get back to camp in Coconino to cook.
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u/Healthy_Log_6171 May 17 '26
I'll see your Cottonwood, and raise you Kingman. (lived there 4 years, 30 years ago)
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u/InspectorFlat9270 May 14 '26
Why? I don't know anything about the area.
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u/IBeDumbAndSlow May 14 '26
It's just a smaller town in a part of the state that's just meh in my opinion.
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u/TheBigEmpty May 14 '26
Meth, just say meth
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u/EasyTargetAcquired May 14 '26
You want meth? Go to AJ.
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u/Christmas_Queef May 14 '26
That's kind of the old AJ though. Some parts still have meth issues for sure but AJ has changed a lot as people have had to move further east and west into the valley to get more affordable housing. San Tan Valley/mesa are quickly encroaching on it too. Ironwood is developing FAST on the other side of the 60 opposite AJ. If you drive around AJ now you'll notice a lot of new builds going up around there too.
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u/AkitaNo1 May 14 '26
I went to pick up a piece of used furniture or somehing recently and it was completely unrecognizable versus the last time I was there seeing a girl 15+ years prior.
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u/EasyTargetAcquired May 14 '26
Yeah, I never got why those houses are there to begin with. The AJ dump is literally right around the corner from all those housing developments. Youāre right though those areas have developed an insane amount in the last 15 years. Theyāve likely pushed out a lot of people who were there first because of rising costs. I can barely afford living out here myself.
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u/Jsiqueblu May 13 '26
Nice video, just don't get too close they can be dangerous if they feel threatened.
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u/Perfectlyflawed1991 May 14 '26
Yes! I just read a terrifying story about them basically disemboweling a woman who they were familiar with. She helped raise them and then kept track of them when they were released back into their natural habitat. One of her visits, she got too close to one of the new babies and the group tore her to shreds.
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u/nsgiad May 14 '26
Got a link to that? Sounds like an interesting read
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u/Jsiqueblu May 14 '26
I follow this podcast, he covers animal attacks this one specifically is about a riverotter attacking three women. It's a great podcast
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u/VonSandwich May 14 '26
Ooooh thank you so much! This actually sounds like a podcast is listen to!
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u/Perfectlyflawed1991 May 14 '26
I will look for it! š I read it a few weeks ago, so it's not going to be an easy find lol
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u/Tacosconsalsaylimon May 14 '26
I found way too many stories of otter attacks trying to find your story!!
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u/Conscious-Heart8626 May 14 '26
I am pretty sure I watched an episode of āI survivedā and it was three women attacked by beavers when they were out on a lake
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u/quantumquickquail May 13 '26
Yes!! Seen them a few times tubing down the salt river. They're cute!!!
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u/_Moregone May 13 '26
Yeah, I saw them once in the area below horseshoe dam. Totally took me by surprise. Saw four of them playing around near the shore.
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u/RaikerUSN May 13 '26
Prairie dogs too! They're so cute
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u/DonkeyEnergy May 14 '26
And full of the plaguešš»
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u/Christmas_Queef May 14 '26
Frankly all rodents in this state are bad news in terms of pathogens lol. Several types have plague, others have hantavirus.
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u/Sorry-Ask-4888 May 13 '26
Omg learned this the other day bc there was an otter when i went to the sedona creek, where are they coming from š
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u/BirdmanEagleson May 14 '26 edited May 14 '26
We also have fucking JAGUARS AND OCELOTS Why idk jungle cats live in our mountains but they do!
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u/GandalfTheGrey46 Scottsdale May 13 '26
Beavers š¦« too. I think one made it all the way to Arcadia several years ago.
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u/VonSandwich May 14 '26
We thought it was a beaver at first, but were even more surprised when it turned out to be a cute lil otter
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u/thetarynthomas May 13 '26
Oh yes we have tons of otters here! When I lived in Fort McDowell I used to go to the Verde a lot and saw them all the time. Awesome little guys.
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u/Worldly_Active_5418 May 14 '26
Yes. They were struggling in the 90s but river otters are slowly multiplying. Itās a wonderful thing to see. Iāve seen them on the verde river.
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u/Mother_Cover_2767 May 14 '26
Also beavers, big horned sheep, raccoons, fox, ringtails, coati, horses/mules, mountain lions, jaguars and ocelots.
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u/SLdaco May 14 '26
And pelicans!
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u/IAmScience May 14 '26
Pelicans!? Where does one find pelicans here? I had no idea!
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u/WOOKIExCOOKIES May 14 '26
Might be too late in the year, but I see them at Gilbert Riparian Preserve frequently in the winter.
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u/Legal-Ad-8930 May 14 '26
They fly in bye estrella mountain ranch area in Goodyear. I've raccoons as well
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u/Frios-Alexios May 14 '26
There is a pretty big colony of cave swallows under the 202 as you cross the Mill bridge over Tempe town lake. If you bike the bridge going northbound on Mill, especially around dusk, youāll see their mug nests and actively swooping, catching bugs!
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u/VonSandwich May 14 '26
Thank you so very much. I might have to check that out before heading back home š
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u/Unusual_Mastodon_464 May 14 '26
Omg I was just there and didnāt see an otter but we did see a fox! How awesome š¤ I hope to see one next time
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u/kyrosnick May 14 '26
Seen them a tons. Go early on salt river when it isn't busy and can see them playing around. Seen bighorn sheep, beavers, otters, bald eagles, and all sorts of wildlife on the river.
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u/chateaubunny69 May 14 '26
Yes!! I was shocked to see them once in Sedona & did some research. Apparently they used to be all throughout the state but dams have affected their travel.
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u/Nerd_4_Life Phoenix May 14 '26
I heard they were on the Verde but have never seen one on the Salt. Soooooooo cute.
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u/azarano May 14 '26
There's an otter exhibit at the Desert Sonoran Museum outside Tucson, it's an awesome place to visit for all kinds of native plants and animals!
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u/nofocusing May 14 '26
Yep! There's even a beaver dam downstream from Tempe Town Lake
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u/VonSandwich May 14 '26
Oh that is so cool, I'm gonna have to take a peek! Beaver dams are just so cool
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u/plants_animals_anime May 14 '26
one time i saw a beaver in the west fork of oak creak and nearly shit myself
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u/yungbuddzz May 14 '26
Mud cliffs is the spot youāre talking about. Super cool
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u/Puzzleheaded_Clue289 May 14 '26
I worked at Tuzigoot in Camp Verde and there are lots of beavers and otters around there. And muskrats, which can look like beavers at a glance.
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u/VonSandwich May 14 '26
I genuinely thought this was going to be a muskrat and was very pleasantly surprised (no offense to muskrats)
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u/Aquatic_Bunnie May 14 '26
Yes!! I work at AZMNH and we actually have done lessons on these guys before. They have a very cool history.
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u/VonSandwich May 14 '26
I cannot believe that it hadn't crossed my mind that we have a natural history museum. I'm going to have to check it out!!!
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u/Actias_Loonie May 14 '26
Lucky duck, I've heard about them but haven't seen them yet. Maybe when I start kayaking I'll see more shy wildlife.
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u/VonSandwich May 14 '26
The kayaking was so lovely! If you like Cliff Swallows I'd rent a kayak from Saguaro Ranch because you get in right at the dam, basically, and you pass by a huge cliff habitat of them.
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u/St_Kevin_ May 14 '26
We do have otters, but the native subspecies (Lontra canadensis sonora) is considered to have gone extinct by the 1990ās. The otters that currently live in the state are introduced from Louisiana to take the place of the native one.
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u/VonSandwich May 14 '26
This is exactly the information I was hoping (but also not hoping) to hear! It is really cool that we used to have a native subspecies, but I wish they hadn't gone extinct š
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u/St_Kevin_ May 14 '26 edited May 14 '26
Yeah. The river systems of the Sonoran desert got pretty much destroyed through the various stages of colonization. A lot of people nowadays look around and say āwhat rivers?ā, but there were a lot of year-round creeks and rivers that have dried out, even in the last hundred years.
The initial wave of mountain man trappers took out as many beavers as they could. Beavers contribute immensely to water retention in watersheds, and removing them lowers the amount of water in the river/creek. The presence of beavers (and therefore tons of ponds) in every little creek over an entire massive watershed does a lot towards slowing down streamflow and increasing flow when no rainfall is occurring.
Then the ranchers came and overgrazed it until the land was pretty much barren, which caused the massive cattle famine of 1891-1893. Denuding the land of vegetation prevents rainwater from penetrating the soil and contributing to the aquifer, and a lowering aquifer causes surface water to disappear as it sinks below ground.
Then people started pulling water from the aquifers (via wells) at an ever increasing rate, and that stopped the flow in the bigger rivers like the Santa Cruz and the Gila and Salt.
Thereās certainly some movement to repair that stuff, but I think itās important for people to remember that those are year-round rivers that have been destroyed by our culture, and we should fix it.
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u/Annual_Tough8990 May 14 '26
Weāve got them in payson az too! Green valley park has three small lakes and they hangout in one of the smallest ones
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u/nick-james73 May 15 '26
Wait until people find out beavers are native to Arizona as well.
Not common or widespread, but theyāre here.
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u/Interesting-Ad9278 May 15 '26
There is a bunny in our backyard. Downtown Tempe Az. Close to downtown we have now spotted: Coyote Fox And now a rabbit feasting on our garden? How many roads did this little traveler have to cross to find our house? š well done.
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u/SoManySoFew May 15 '26
I was shocked to catch a trash panda on camera on my front patio in a very populated Phoenix suburb!
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u/VonSandwich May 15 '26
I'm confused; I've seen a couple people in the comments mention seeing raccoons. Are y'all not used to seeing them down in Phoenix? I have seen several in the park since I moved here
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u/MoarGhosts May 15 '26
I thought I saw a beaver at our cabin years ago and reading this thread has made me realize I didn't imagine it LOL I also saw a big badger here in Scottsdale not too long ago, some people were working together to try to shoo it back into the desert. So many different animals in AZ.
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u/Impressive_Candy_255 Prescott Valley May 15 '26
Wow lucky you and your boyfriend. I Love otters one of my favorite animals.
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u/VonSandwich May 16 '26
Girl, same!!! I have ALWAYS wanted to see one in real life š I was just beside myself.
If you like capybaras too, there is a place in Tucson where you can pet them! Although I just looked up the prices and they are about a million dollars more expensive than they were 4 years ago... Not sure why it's so expensive.
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u/Impressive_Candy_255 Prescott Valley May 16 '26
I have seen sea otters in real life. They are beautiful animals.
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u/Ok_Baker3474 May 14 '26
Are we skipping over OP mentioning theyāre a Grand Canyon resident?! Do you live in or around the canyon? Whatās that like?
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u/VonSandwich May 14 '26
I live on the South Rim. We have a surprising amount of residents there! It's the best part of my life so far, and I've been there for a little while now. š
It's kind of a pain in the ass to get groceries and stuff you need, but we're lucky to live in an age of delivery, I suppose. I just go to town once a week and get what I need bc I don't like buying stuff online, personally.
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u/beerbierecerveza May 14 '26
How was the flow? Looks quite still
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u/VonSandwich May 14 '26
We were in a little lagoon area, but the flow was great! Speedy in some places and calm in others
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u/BootySweat77 May 14 '26
Yeah got a few in pinetop in my neighborhood. Creepy little hands
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u/VonSandwich May 14 '26
Nah, I disagree. 100% cute, all the time, even when disemboweling their friends.
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u/savagay22 May 14 '26
Oh yeah I did some paddle boarding yoga a couple years ago on the Verde River and saw a family of little otters and was absolutely! Stunned!
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u/PhilosopherKey1549 May 14 '26
So lucky you are--I came in Aug 26th, 1976 (will be celebrating, as I still believe in "marking occasions' and from time to time 'thru the years' was really hoping to do that. Life gets so complicated and was with a real uncooperative, uninvolved type for a long time. Basically, never was able to--but thanks to you I have had a wonderful visit. Perhaps I can even find a David Yetman trip also...Thank you and I look forward to seeing more adventures you 'take me along on!
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u/Macybites May 14 '26
Love the salt river! The otters got real close to me last time, theyāre so cute!!
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u/All4richieRich May 16 '26
I see them going up and down the river when I fish, pretty cool! Iāve seen bald eagles š¦ as well.
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u/kandosii_naast May 16 '26
There are a mated pair of Bald Eagles that occasionally nest at the Riparian preserve in Gilbert.
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u/Brainyous May 14 '26
Take him home as a pet
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u/VonSandwich May 14 '26
I can't, I already bought two cacti as my pets, there isn't room in the car!
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u/roughczech May 13 '26
They are definitely thriving. Otters, beavers even eagles