Animal Magic

River Otter

River Otter

Tangled-up roots in the bank of a stream

Hides the she-otter's nest, her cubs yet to wean.

This litter's her second, and may be her last,

Wild living is short, and time quickly slips past.

She-otter stirs as her babies awake,

And she romps with the pair till nearly daybreak.

A sliver of fish-tail then catches her eye -

She slides into the water as another swims by.

The squeaking of babies falls on deaf ears

Closed tight on the water, as under she veers

In pursuit of her dinner, to keep her alive,

And ensure her two cubs will continue to thrive.

This way and that way, sleek, silvery swish,

Her whole-body flicks keeping time with the fish.

But it's fast and it's strong and it races ahead,

This time, she knows that she won't be fed.

Moving further upstream and away from her hoult,

The next fish she chases is part of a shoal,

But she-otter's tiring, too old to outstrip -

There's safety in numbers, and they give her the slip.

Then her whiskers detect a fat fish, just one,

She takes it, breaks surface, and eats it side-on.

She swims home in triumph, barely pausing to play,

Knowing her cubs won't go hungry today.

What's that you said, Mr. Angler? "Otters are wanton killers of fish?"