There was a lot of bad news in the Quad Cities over the weekend. Couple shootings, a fire or two, Sam's Club closing. We could use some good news.

According to KWQC, local photographer Jay Wolf snapped some photos of river otters playing and cuddling on the ice in Whiteside Co.

Talk about being in the right place at the right time. River otters are most active at night so this was a rare treat.

River otters were listed as a threatened species in Illinois in 1977 with fewer than 100 statewide by 1989, according the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).

In the mid-90s, a total of 346 otters were captured in Louisiana ad released in southeastern and central Illinois.

Today, their population is thriving and the species is no longer listed as endangered or threatened.

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