As the Furry Surfing Gear Thief Continues to Evade Capture, Locals Gather for an ‘Otter Watch’ to Catch a Glimpse of the Pirate

It is official, Otter 841 is a celebrity with her very own fan following. Earlier, her fanbase was limited to Mark Woodward, a Santz Cruz native just like Otter 841. Woodward has been regularly updating the world on the antics of 841 through photos and videos on his Twitter account. The buzz around this furry mammal began when she started stealing surfing gear from surfers who ventured near her. Many photos and videos emerged, revealing the otter enjoying surfboards as snacks, scratching and biting them.

Due to several encounters with the locals over the past few months, the state and Federal wildlife service officials have been making an attempt to capture and rehabilitate the otter, for her and the locals’ safety. However, this cunning little pirate continues to evade all attempts of nabbing her, something she has become quite adept at. Her actions have made her sort of a star among the locals, and they even organized an ‘Otter Watch’ to catch a glimpse of her.

Santa Cruz locals gather to watch surfing gear stealer

Otter 841 was born in captivity and later released into the wild. However, it seems like some time with the humans during her formative years left something of an impression. Why else would she be playing with us, as, according to experts, others usually don’t come near humans? Her interactions with homo sapiens usually end with her forcing them to disembark from their gear. The Fish and Wildlife officials took a boat out on the water on Tuesday, hoping to capture Otter 841 once again.

However, she continued to elude the authorities. She has, although, continued to steal the hearts of anyone who hears about the fluffy mammal. Tourists and Santa Cruz gathered around the railings near the sea, only to catch a glimpse of the famous sea animal. The ‘Otter Watch’ attracted many visitors, and according to ABC 7, people were fighting for a place on the fence so they could see the wonderful otter themselves. Though she has not yet harmed any human, her behavior has become somewhat of a concern to the authorities, who wish to rehabilitate her for everyone’s safety.

Read more: Otter Steals Surfer’s High-Performance Surf Mat Leaving Him $500 Poorer

According to them, it could take weeks, or even months, to successfully catch hold of the surfing gear thief, though no concrete timeline has been revealed. The plans of the authorities to rehome the otter in an aquarium are not sitting well with many. According to ABC 7, a local surfer spoke out in protest, saying that the species should not be taken out of its natural habitat, and at the most, should be released after necessary investigation. Contrary to this, others feel that she needs to be captured to ensure Otter 841 is healthy. But where did it all begin?

A mother-daughter pair with an affinity for humans

The story of Otter 841 begins with another female otter, who was also attracted to humans. The particular female otter, called 723, had to be captured by the authorities after she got a taste of human snacks after being constantly fed by them. After the capture, they suddenly realized she was pregnant with a pup. and Otter 841 was born. After a while, Otter 841 was released back into the wild.

After almost a year of her release, her interactions with the humans increased, with her showing some aggressive behavior towards surfing equipment only recently. The locals are completely fascinated by the otter who is continuously spotted surfing the waves on local gear. The locals feel that they “have never seen anything like it”, prompting them to flock to West Cliff just to catch one peek of the iconic little surfing enthusiast.

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