Otters make a return to Leicestershire's cleaner waterways
Environmentalists are celebrating the return of a rare mammal to our waterways.
In November 2008, for the first time in about 30 years, an otter was caught on camera in the River Soar, within swimming distance of the city centre.
Now it appears the semi-aquatic mammal is here to stay.
Environmental teams said otter sightings in city canals and rivers were now a weekly occurrence.
Otters have been spotted in three spots south of the city centre – although the exact locations are being kept under wraps for their protection.
This year, population numbers are set to be more closely monitored with extra camera equipment set up and DNA tests carried out on droppings.
Adrian Lane, the city council's senior riverside officer, said their return was excellent news for Leicester's waterways.
Once the nocturnal mammals set up home in area, they usually stay for the rest of their 15 to 20-year lifespan.
Mr Lane said: "This has been the most positive news we've had. It is fantastic to have them back.
"They are beautiful creatures and it will be great when the population is such that people can regularly see them again.
"Now we've got at least one otter here it is likely to be around for a long time.
"We are convinced we've got a male. If we can start recording them at two locations, we can see how active they are."
Otters were once a regular sight in the city's canals and rivers. They were driven out by pollution and pesticides in the 1970s.
Conservationists said their recent return was a mark of the success of years of restoration and clean-ups to improve water quality and habitats.
City senior parks officer Barry Ingram has been using heat and motion-sensing equipment to capture pictures of the nocturnal creatures.
But because two otters have yet to be spotted together it is not known whether it may have been the same animal spotted in different locations.
The waterways team is to set up a camera in a second location which could establish whether there is more than one.
Mr Ingram said: "The fact they are back in Leicester's waterways is testament to the sound environmental practices in managing the riverside over the past 25 years or so.
"What we really want now is to see some cubs. They breed all year round so it could happen at anytime."
OTTERS FACTFILE
Otters are the only amphibious member of the weasel family.
Otters are solitary creatures, only meeting to mate. They communicate using whistles and birdlike twittering.
They primarily eat fish and will occasionally take small birds or crustaceans.
They love clean water and bank vegetation for cover. A male (dog) otter can occupy a territory of up to 40km.
An adult male otter can weigh up to 10kg and be over 1m long. Usually only its head and possibly its tail shows on the surface as it swims.
The otter is often nocturnal and usually wary of humans.
Source: The Wildlife Trust
9 Comments
by rewleices, leicester
Monday, May 31 2010, 9:02PM
“The otters in Leicester have not been 'introduced'. This is young males moving away to find teritary. This is a sign that the number of otters is increasing naturally. It is not evidence of breading, as we still don't know if there are any females. I'm doubting a single male has cleared out 2 large ponds, and please tell me how you know for sure it wasn't mink? I will be walking the river and canal banks through out the summer evenings hoping for an otter sighting.”
by jc, wigston
Thursday, February 04 2010, 12:42PM
“Speechless, Leicester ¿ When i say we maintained the like, i mean we cleared out all the litter and rubbish that had accumulated in and around the lake over many years, and removed a couple of dead trees i wouldn¿t class that is interfering. Michael, Coalville ¿ I don¿t think i made my point clear. I have no problem with the otters themselves. The problem i have is with the random release of otters into the wild, with no regard to any problems they might cause. The otters we are now seeing on our waterways didn¿t get there naturally. They were introduced. I guess it is now acknowledged there is a problem, as the release of otters now comes under strict control. LJ, coalville ¿ Its otters. You can tell this by the fish remains. pw, lutterworth ¿ Good luck with your lake. Hope it doesn¿t suffer the same fate as ours.”
by pw, lutterworth
Wednesday, February 03 2010, 11:15AM
“I purchased some land 2 years back with a nice sized lake but empty of fish....i thought strange so i heavily stocked it with carp and yes the otters are taking my fish....no its not mink”
by LJ, coalville
Monday, February 01 2010, 3:46PM
“JC sure it wasnt mink took your fish?”
by Michael, Coalville
Monday, February 01 2010, 3:33PM
“JC, are you sugesting fish have more rights than otters?
Otters are a sign of a healthy river. I f you choose to open up a free restuarant for otters thats your bad luck. Instead of stocking the pond again, I sugest you stock a large tank and fish it with pleasure, afterwards you can close the lid and they'll all be there for you to catch again.
It is 'GREAT' news that otters have returned, lets start a campaign , 'Save the Otters, Stock a Pond'”
by KH, Leicester
Monday, February 01 2010, 2:38PM
“@JC - interfering can perhaps be forgiven when it is helping. Oh, and "pot...kettle...black" springs to mind!”
by Speechless, Leicester
Monday, February 01 2010, 2:06PM
“Hold on a second JC. You say you "maintained and fished a lake" and " spent 3 years and a sum of money improving the condition of the lake and re-stocking." and then you complain about "people interfering with nature". Erm...”
by JC, wigston
Monday, February 01 2010, 12:36PM
“GREAT NEWS? I couldn¿t disagree with you more. It¿s just another example of people interfering with nature. Will people not learn from their past mistakes? Myself and a hand full of friends maintained and fished a lake at Wistow. This lake contained many large fish some of which were dated at over 50 years old. We had previously spent 3 years and a sum of money improving the condition of the lake and re-stocking. All this hard work was undone when the otter/otters moved in. Over the space of the next 2 years the whole population of carp was wiped out completely. I know for a fact that this is problem is happening in other areas of the country.”
by Su Barton, Leicester
Monday, February 01 2010, 11:53AM
“At last, some good news!”