ROOTSTOWN, Ohio (WJW) — Last week, river otters were spotted splashing in the waters of the Triangle Lake Bog State Nature Preserve near Ravenna.

“We’re jealous of our staff for seeing and photographing these magical creatures in person,” the Ohio Department of Natural Resources wrote in a recent Facebook post.

River otters are native to the Buckeye State, ODNR reports, but by the early 1900s they’d been killed off. In the 1980s, the state worked to reintroduce the animals to the area.

Now the animals are considered “common” in Ohio, however, they’re more likely to be active during the night, making day sightings rare.

  • Photo courtesy Emily Archibald Pellegrini – ODNR Staff
  • Photo courtesy Emily Archibald Pellegrini – ODNR Staff
  • Photo courtesy Emily Archibald Pellegrini – ODNR Staff

Find out more about Ohio river otters right here.