Otter Pups Have First Hunting Lesson ｜ BBC Earth ｜ BBC Studios

A visiting male otter woos a female on the lake's shore. But she seems a little distracted. Her two pups are nearby. They are about ten weeks old and the time is right to lead them from the holt. Males are not above stealing food from cubs, so she makes it very clear that he is not going to be joining them. This female grew up on the lake, so she knows where to take the cubs for a very special trip. Yellowstone cutthroat trout are massing in the mouth of a stream that feeds the lake. They are preparing for their annual spawning. But the trout must wait. The stream is still running fast, too turbulent to lay their eggs. It's a nervous time for them, and for good reason. This osprey has a brood to feed and will be back. Now the otters are here, too. She chooses her moment to lead the pups upstream, then leaves them to watch and gives them a lesson in hunting. A large trout like this, full of eggs, is a trophy catch. She chews its tail first to make sure the fish can't get away. While the pups are still demanding milk, the mother otter will often keep the whole fish for herself. Her pups are happy enough with caviar. As the flow becomes slow enough for the trout to lay eggs, there is a brief window of opportunity to spawn before the river gets too shallow to swim upstream. The female digs a trough with sinuous flicks of her body, and the attending male fertilizes the eggs as they are laid. Millions of new lives.