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Lawmakers Target River Otters: Professor Fights for Protection

1/18/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Merav Ben-David, a passionate professor at the University of Wyoming, is rallying lawmakers to safeguard river otters, whose numbers plummeted during the fur trade. Despite expert warnings, House Bill 45, introduced by Rep. Andrew Byron, seeks to strip these vulnerable creatures of their protected status, paving the way for managing so-called nuisance otters.

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Story summary

Merav Ben-David, a passionate professor at the University of Wyoming, is rallying lawmakers to safeguard river otters, whose numbers plummeted during the fur trade. Despite expert warnings, House Bill 45, introduced by Rep. Andrew Byron, seeks to strip these vulnerable creatures of their protected status, paving the way for managing so-called nuisance otters.