Footage shows heroic wildlife experts rescue an otter trapped downstream from a Massachusetts dam for three days

A team of heroic locals and wildlife experts have rescued an otter trapped downstream from a dam in Massachusetts.

The frightened animal had difficulty swimming against the current the Ipswich Mills Dam for at least three days before being spotted.

Several failed rescue attempts later, the team tried one last time using a baited trap – and successfully pulled the otter out of danger and sent it on its way.

Locals have been trying to remove the Ipswich Mills Dam for more than a decade, partly out of concern about the way it is interfering with wildlife.

In December, a local group announced that the dam removal project has made progress, but will likely take months or more.

The Ipswich River Watershed and Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries posted the otter video to Instagram, where it received more than 5,600 likes.

Observers could see that the otter was clearly becoming exhausted; he had been trying to get past the dam for days.

Residents took action and came up with a plan to help the stuck animal out of its predicament.

During the first attempt to help the otter, a local resident tried to catch it in a net, but was unsuccessful and the net broke during the rescue.

The second idea was to lower the fish ladder flow from the dam and install a ramp for the otter to walk up. A fish ladder is an opening to allow migratory fish to pass through a dam.

This attempt also failed.

The otter was clearly worn out, as observers could see. It had been trying to get past the dam for days

Attempt number three involved a Havahart brand live animal trap, which snaps the cage door shut when the otter goes in to eat the fish.

Part of this rescue operation included appointing an official otter spotter.

And a resident took up that mantle.

It worked: the otter was eventually lured into the trap by the smell of the herring bait.

This type of trap is designed not to harm the animal inside.

The distressed otter was given a snack with some extra herring to put him at ease and help him recover from his ordeal.

The incident sparked a lively discussion on social media about removing the dam.

“Is removing dams and restoring power continuity an option?” one Instagram commenter asked.

The Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Office issued a certificate for the dam removal project in October.

The second idea was to lower the flow of the dam's fish ladder and install a ramp for the otter to walk up. A fish ladder is an opening intended to allow migratory fish to pass through a dam

But the consulting firm advising the city still must submit an environmental impact report to MEPA before state and federal agencies issue permits to the city to remove the dam.

“This EIR is limited to specifically addressing how sediment released from the project will be sampled and managed so that sediment potentially mobilized by the project will not have adverse impacts downstream,” one researcher said. announcement about the certificate and next steps from a PR agency representing the city.

Sediment, but not too much of it, is desirable for the shellfish industry downstream of the dam.

“Sediment would naturally move downstream if the dam were not there,” the Ipswich River Watershed clarified in the comments. Instagram post.

It worked. The otter spotter saw when the animal was finally lured into a trap by the smell of the herring bait. This type of trap is designed not to harm the animal inside

Then the otter was released – above the dam of course. The incident sparked lively discussions on social media about removing the dam

'This sediment is generally considered beneficial for shellfish because sediment from upstream essentially provides the home in which shellfish live.

“Sediment samples have been analyzed and initial feedback indicates no elevated levels of anything regulated by (Department of Environmental Protection) (DEP),” they wrote. “More samples will be collected and tested as part of the DEP Water Quality Certification.”

The MEPA certification noted that 70 percent of public commenters supported removing the dam, including state and federal agencies, environmental organizations and residents.

The dam removal is “one of the highest priority dam removal projects on the East Coast,” according to the announcement about the optional environmental impact assessment the city has completed.