After a 100-year absence, river otters have returned to the central and western regions of New York state, thanks to support from Wildlife Forever. With a goal of releasing 50 otters per year, the project ended up releasing 279 river otters over the course of 6 years. The otters were live-trapped in areas where stable populations had already existed and then transported and released at 16 carefully selected sites. The New York Bureau of Wildlife provided training and technical support during the project and is assisting with monitoring the otters after their release. River otters are popular for wildlife viewing because of their playful habits and daytime activity.