River otters are curious animals, reflected in the pose of this 10″ River Otter Standing Plush toy. Makes a great gift for young visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Did you know that river otters were eliminated from the Smokies by the early 1900s due to habitat destruction and uncontrolled trapping for their valuable fur? In 1986, the National Park Service began a reintroduction program, and over the course of 8 years, 137 otters from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Louisiana were trapped and released into various drainages in the Smoky Mountains. The otters have quietly lived and reproduced here, protected from trapping and slowly filling their niche as top predators in mountain streams. Today they are believed to be present in every drainage of the Smokies.

All proceeds generated through the sale of Great Smoky Mountains Association merchandise go to Great Smoky Mountains National Park to support projects and services.