Newport Beach, 1907. That was the last time and place anyone saw an Oregon sea otter alive in the wild, and that one was killed.
The lustrous fur of the animals made them popular targets for hunting, until there were none left. And efforts to reintroduce them have failed, twice.
Hannah Wellman at the University of Oregon is researching the otters' importance to the indigenous people of the Oregon coast, and possible pathways to successful reintroductions.
She joins us in this month's edition of Curious: Research Meets Radio, our joint project with UO.
Link: The Elakha Alliance leads the effort to reintroduce otters.