Discover where otters live in the UK, how you can spot their signs, and where you can see them for yourself. Speeding British Army soldier took police on … 3. Contact Paul Wilkinson at enquiries.westmidlands@canalrivertrust.org.uk. Otters return to every county in England Once the rivers were cleaned up, fish returned to once-polluted waters and otters began to spread back eastwards from their strongholds in Devon and Wales The ultimate river otter predators are humans. River otters are very messy eaters—but they really appear to love eating. Nowadays, these charismatic animals can be seen in every county in the UK. The reedbeds are also home to reed bunting and harvest mouse. Look out for otters along the river, as well as birds such as stonechat, water rail, curlew and sand martin in the summer months. Fortunately, in 2011, the Environment Agency announced their return. Giant otter › North American river otter › Probably the otter to be found in the greatest numbers, this long-bodied otter has a muscular tail to help it swim. Today, the species is flourishing across Scotland, and recovering well across the UK as waterways are cleaned up. 1. Their playful watery antics have given much-needed cheer to passersby and have brought some welcome relief from the worries of the second national lockdown. Also found along the west coast of Scotland. Scotland is home to 90% of UK otters. Eurasian river otter › Giant otter › This large otter lives in groups. Staveley- This site is great for otters - in 2012 it was home to a mother and cubs who were seen on several occassions. It hunts fish from the riverbed. A plan to ‘restore’ the lower reaches of Devon’s River Otter by breaking through flood barriers and allowing a floodplain to develop has come in for opposition from a group fighting the move. ANIMAL lovers have been left delighted after numerous sightings of otters in the River Kent. From other local news sites. But it survived in Scotland’s cleanest bodies of water in the north and west. The otter (Lutra lutra) was lost from most of England and Wales between the 1950s and the 1970s because of pesticide pollution of waterways. Man, they know how to have fun. ROGUE otters have plundered thousands of pounds worth of koi carp from ornamental fishponds in homes near the River Kennet. According to the Environment Agency, around 35m fewer litres a … Now further fencing has been put up along the River Stour to prohibit access to a wider area of the riverbank. They also eat crustaceans, frogs and even small water birds. Download River otter stock photos. When cornered on land, they will fight and scratch. The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), also known as the European otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter, and Old World otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia.The most widely distributed member of the otter subfamily (Lutrinae) of the weasel family (Mustelidae), it is found in the waterways and coasts of Europe, many parts of Asia, and parts of northern Africa. Main Photo: River Otters on Ice Seedskadee NWR, Tom Koerner/USFWS, Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0). If otters fascinate you, below are some interesting otter facts. Photo: Screenshot of Ford Mustangs racing in Codemasters DIRT5 video game. Download all free or royalty-free photos and vectors. Shropshire Wildlife Trust's Otter Project. In the UK Otters frequent a range of habitat. Young river otters prove to be the most susceptible to predators. The Onion once ran a wonderful headline: “Black lab has best day of his life for 862nd day in a row.” You could easily apply that to river otters. 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