Otter Guide

About Otters

This is an otter. Otters are your friends. Though they are tricky and clever, everyone can catch otters using simple logic and just a bit of patience. This guide will tell you everything you need to know to begin catching otters yourself.

Otter Holes

Otters live in networks of otter holes. Otter networks always consist of exactly twelve holes. Otters and their networks can be found pretty much anywhere in Egypt. If you come across an empty otter hole, then there should be another eleven holes nearby -- and one otter. Otter holes look similar to piles of silt. Silt will always be found somewhere near water. But otter holes can appear even in the deepest deserts.

Otter Networks

Your goal is to successfully grab the otter. When you try to grab her, however, she will taunt you, and then dive into her hole, only to reappear at another hole in her network. The otter is able to escape like this because each of the holes in her network is connected via underground tunnels to several other holes. This labyrinth of tunnels is structured as follows: - One of the holes in the otter's network is connected by tunnels to exactly THREE other holes. - The other eleven holes in the otter's network are each connected by tunnels to exactly FOUR other holes. So for most holes, the otter has four escape routes. But for one hole, there are only three escape routes. But with so many options, and so complex a maze, how can we possibly catch her?

Blocking Holes

Using boards, we can block otter holes. if a hole is blocked by a board, then the otter cannot appear in that hole. However, we can never block more than three of the holes in an otter's network. If we try to block a fourth hole, the otter will eat one of the boards! Nevertheless, three boards is sufficient for figuring out how an otter's network is interconnected, and eventually cornering and grabbing the otter.