State of Connecticut Environmental Conservation Officers Wojcik and Yescott brought Brook, a 10 month old river otter, to visit the The Master’s School in West Simsbury. The abandoned pup was found by a farmer in Griswold Connecticut. In an effort to save the pup, the farmer called the State of Connecticut Environmental Conservation Department. Officer Wojcik and his family opened their home and hearts to the pup.
The North American River Otter is an apex predator from the weasel family that used to be endangered due to over hunting and lack of regulations to protect them. Through conservation and the work of biologists, there is a stable population now. North American River otter parents usually have 2 pups; the mother stays with them for a year, then they usually leave the nest and live in solidarity. When Brook reaches this turning point in the spring, she will become more unpredictable and mischievous. This would be the time to slowly introduce Brooke to other otters at Roger Williams Zoo or Mystic Aquarium.
Brook “imprinted “the Wojcik family - with Officer Wojcik and his wife as her parents and their three boys as her siblings. Imprinting is a form of rapid learning very early in an animal's social development that results in strong behavioral patterns of attraction to members of its own species, especially parents. “During this snowy New England winter, Brook loves to sled with the boys. She loves the new snow, running up the hill then sliding down using her tail as a rudder to steer,” Officer Wojcik explains with a chuckle.
Local restaurants, grocery stores and fishermen have come together to help to feed Brook the 2 ½ lbs. of fish a day needed to sustain her very high metabolism. Beyond Brook’s diet of fresh fish, she frequently raids the refrigerator. During the holidays she opened the refrigerator and took out a 25 lb. turkey and gobbled it up!! Brook sees herself as one of the children. She sleeps in the house and uses a litter box. She loves to swim in the pool at a swift 7mph and holds her breath for minutes. If in the wild, she would use her whiskers as sensors, sensing the vibrations of the fish. Her wide, web feet would catch the prey as her dense fur insulates and keeps cold out. The river otter has the thickest, densest fur of any other animal on the planet, 156 thousand hairs per square inch.
Brook’s visit was unique and the children really enjoyed learning about the once endangered North American River Otter. Many thanks go out to Officer Wojcik and Officer Yescott for sharing Brook with us. These dedicated conservation officers spend their time educating us, and truly caring for the animals of Connecticut.
