Rocks Remain

It is a sequel to RING OF BRIGHT WATER. It, too, concerns the interactions of otters and humans. When the author returned to London after an earthquake in Morocco his otter, Edal, was very sick. When his party, comprised of employees and friends and himself, made the seasonal move to Scotland, it was joined shortly by another otter, Teko. Terry Nutkins came along later to be Teko's keeper. He had been a volunteer at the London Zoo. A telephone was installed at the cottage in Scotland, Camusfearna, in 1960. The story of the author's two stays in Morocco and the invasion of Camusfearna in 1961 by unwanted visitors following the success of RING OF BRIGHT WATER are among the events set forth in some detail in this volume. Maxwell uses amusement, irony in his story-telling. Tragedy ensued when Edal, in a fit of jealousy over the wearing of Elizabeth's sweater by Terry, attacked Terry viciously in the hand. Ultimately he lost several fingers. The author and others prepared a separate enclosure for Teko. This proved to be wise forsight when Teko attacked another supposed rival for affection, Maxwell's future stepson, Simon. Later Teko bit another keeper, Jimmy. The rival in this instance was a deerhound, a dog. The danger of attack by otter is that it occurrs without warning. Edal's former owners visited her after three years. Surprisingly she remembered them and resumed certain affectionate behavior that had taken place only with them. Later the author and his collaborators acquired two British otters in quick succession, dubbed Mossy and Monday. One is struck by the immense amount of commitment and work the keeping of otters entails.