LAKEVILLE — Aw, check out these otters.

Kathie Wing generously shared images of otters at play in one of Lakeville’s many waterways. 

She preferred to keep the specific location of this sighting private, but shares that she has observed the lively animals on Assawompset Pond, Little and Great Quitticas ponds, Pocksha Pond and the Nemasket River.

She has spotted them in both Lakeville and Middleboro. 

The animals are particularly visible when ponds are covered in ice, which might be one benefit of a cold snap.

River otters represent one of the wildlife success stories in Massachusetts, according to the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.

The river otter is a semi-aquatic mammal found throughout Massachusetts’ lakes, rivers, and coastal habitats. 

Once a rare sight in Massachusetts, the otter population has been increasing due to sustainable harvest practices, better wetland conservation, and pollution control, the department reports. The increasing beaver population has also created habitat for otters. 

Otters are known to be very playful and athletic creatures; pups can often be seen with their mother sliding down snow-covered and muddy hillsides and popping in and out of holes in the ice. 

You can sometimes hear them as well, the department report. Otters use a variety of sounds to maintain group cohesiveness, signal alarm or danger, and express fear and anger.

Humans demand to make a sound, too, when they see them: One of amazement and joy.