River clean-ups revive flagging otter numbers

Photo / Brett Phibbs

For the past 40 years or more, the sight of otters playing in England's rivers has been a rare treat. Now, at last, it seems the tide is turning in favour of the country's favourite water-dwelling animal, which has been brought back from the brink of extinction.

A report by the Environment Agency published yesterday reveals that numbers of the once elusive animal are at their highest for decades. Poisoned by toxic pesticides in rivers, the animals had almost disappeared by the 1970s.

But a concerted effort to protect the otter, including legislation which made it an offence to intentionally kill or harm the animals, has brought about a dramatic resurgence. Every county in England, bar one, can now boast an otter population - and some are even reaching maximum capacity.

The Environment Agency predicts that the species will recover fully in less than 20 years. An examination of 3327 river sites across the country between July last year and March showed a tenfold increase in otter populations over the past 30 years.

Paul Raven, head of conservation and ecology at the Environment Agency, said: "Rivers in England are the healthiest for over 20 years, and otters, salmon and other wildlife are returning ... for the first time since the Industrial Revolution."

- INDEPENDENT