CHEYENNE—Merav Ben-David’s request that state lawmakers leave river otters alone stems from her ... were effectively wiped out during the fur-trade era — are struggling to recolonize large ...

In the middle of the century, Russian, American, and British ships started decimating otter populations to satiate a trendy demand for their fur, which sold for an enticing sum in Europe, China, and ...

Ironically, it is the otter's fur that brought the animal to the brink ... But in many cases, the Native hunters were willing trade partners. The result was drastic: a species that once numbered ...