In a stunning turn of events that will shock absolutely no one who has ever heard of the Clean Water Act, an otter has been spotted in the Bronx River for the first time in over a century. Yes, that's right: a river that was once basically an open sewer is now clean enough to support a creature that requires clean water and abundant fish. Who knew?

The North American river otter was caught on a motion-activated camera in June by RJ Hawkins, a scientist at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx zoo. It's the first documented sighting of a river otter in the Bronx River since the early 1900s. Hawkins was understandably thrilled: "When I first reviewed the images, I could hardly believe what I was seeing. Knowing this may be the first documented river otter in the Bronx in generations was an incredible moment." He also noted that this shows why long-term wildlife monitoring and environmental restoration efforts matter - presumably because without them, you just get a river full of old tires and animal blood.

Back in the day, the Bronx River was a veritable paradise for otters, but then humans showed up and thought, "You know what would make this river better? Chemicals, oil, and untreated sewage." And so they dumped all of that and more into the water, turning it into a sort of industrial waste smoothie. The otters, understandably, left. But thanks to the Clean Water Act and decades of conservation efforts, the river has made a comeback. Beavers returned in 2007 after a 200-year absence, and now an otter has shown up to check out the new digs.

Now, before you start planning an otter-watching party, note that a single sighting doesn't confirm a resident population. But it's a promising sign for a river that is New York City's only freshwater river. And let's be honest, after decades of being treated like a garbage dump, the river deserves a little otter love. River otters, by the way, can grow up to 5 feet long, have tails that make up 40% of their body, and can scream loud enough to be heard 1.5 miles away. So if you see one, maybe don't startle it.

Craig Piper, director of the Bronx zoo, summed it up nicely: "There are moments in conservation that remind us why this work matters, and this is one of them." Indeed, it's a win for wildlife and people - and for anyone who enjoys the simple pleasure of not having a river that smells like a slaughterhouse.