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Frolicking Otter Spotted At SF's Sutro Baths

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - A CBS 5 viewer and regular visitor to the area sent in video and images of an otter sunning itself at San Francisco's historic Sutro Baths.

David Cruz, who posted YouTube video and Flickr photos under the name Nature's Lantern, described the scene as a "neat rarity."

"Sutro Sam" Wild River Otter at Sutro Baths - San Francisco by Natures Lantern on YouTube

The Sutro Baths are ruins of a former private swimming complex located just north of the Cliff House on San Francisco's Northwestern edge. Once a recreational destination, the baths burned in 1966 and were abandoned. Now the remaining saltwater pools make it a more ideal destination for wildlife.

As we reported in August, the otter population appears to be on the rise, according to a federal study.

USGS said there are now 2,792 sea otters in California waters, compared with 2,711 in 2010.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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