A Vancouverite filmed an adorable video of an otter family in the parking lot outside her apartment.
The video shows a lighter brown sow (mother river otter) leading her two darker brown cubs underneath some cars in the parking lot. The group bounds together, but after they pass under the final vehicle, only the mother and one cub emerge. She turns around searching — almost frantically — for her missing baby, before it also hops out, and the family gathers on the lot's edge.
Lou Lee lives in East Vancouver and says she often sees critters in the area, including river otters on several occasions.
"I saw [this otter family] Wednesday morning," she told V.I.A.
"I've seen otters before in the parking lot — one time I saw the neighbour's cat chase an otter out of the parking lot."
Lee added that she has another video of the otter family crawling all over each other right after, which is "even cuter."
When asked why she seems to have so many unique animal sightings in her "backyard," the Vancouverite noted that she believes her area may be an important passageway for local wildlife.
"Word is that we live on an animal path. There are raccoons and otters that use it," she said.
Famous otter moments in Vancouver
River and sea otters are beloved local animals. They are mustelids, meaning they belong to the weasel family and produce a musty aroma from their anal scent glands (the more you know).
The Vancouver Aquarium is home to a group of adorable ocean dwellers, and the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society (VAMMRS) regularly rescues otters (and many marine mammals) that wouldn't otherwise survive in the wild.
Luna, a baby sea otter, made a splash on social media in June 2024. VAMMRS rescued her after she was discovered alone on Vargas Island. At just 1.58 kg, the petite critter was in critical condition, requiring 24-hour supervision, and bottle feeding every one and a half hours.
Of course, other famous otters have less impressive reputations. The now-infamous Chinatown otter started stealing prized koi carp from the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Vancouverites even created a designated X (then Twitter) channel for the pesky river otter.
Six large koi and 74 small koi were removed from the pond and temporarily housed off-site to keep them safe from the rogue otter.
Have a look at some of the most iconic otter moments in Vancouver over the years.
