Otters are famously playful creatures, as well as being accomplished predators. They are also wild animals, not easily domesticated. They are a poor choice for a pet.
A partner is another thing entirely.
In previous centuries otters would be tethered and trained to catch fish. It was not the most effective manner of fishing… the otters would often eat the first few which they caught… but it was still a useful technique in an era before rod & reel was easily acquired. The practice has generally fallen into disuse… except in Bangladesh
Families of fishermen there have worked alongside lodges of otters for hundreds of years, maximizing their fishing productivity with aid provided by the semi-aquatic mustelids.
In the Bangladeshi variant of otter fishing, the people wait until the evening low tide and release groups of otters into a river. The low tide affords local fish fewer hiding places, and the otters enjoy locating and chasing them. The fishermen draw nets across the area in front of the otters as their co-workers herd the fish directly toward the nets.
The addition of the otters can more than double a fisherman’s yield. For that reason, the otters are always fed first.
If you want to see it… here’s a video link.
“Beaters” are sometimes used in game hunting. The flush out game by thrashing about in bushes, startling the birds and small animals out of their hiding places. The otters perform a variant of this activity for the river… and they’re much cuter while doing their jobs.
Question of the night: What wild animal would other people say best represents you?
