The sighting shows that the revival of the animal, which was once nearly extirpated from Pennsylvania, continues throughout the region.

The river otter ogled the camera, posing for an inadvertent selfie on a chilly winter night. The adult critter explored its surroundings for 45 minutes before slipping off into the darkness, ever elusive.

The unexpected December cameo marked the first known presence of a river otter along the Ridley Creek watershed in Chester County for 100 years, signifying that the revival of the animal, once nearly extirpated from Southeastern Pennsylvania, continues throughout the region.

“We haven’t caught much else by way of footage, but a homeowner has reported seeing it swim in their pond just few weeks ago, which is a good sign that it’s hanging out in the area,” said Lauren McGrath, director of the watershed protection program for the Willistown Conservation Trust, a nonprofit in Chester County.

McGrath’s team installed a game camera on private property to monitor beaver on private land near where the trust recently acquired 90 acres of the 218-acre Kirkwood Farm at Plumstock and Providence Roads in Willistown.

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