Back from the brink – otter records reach new high in Derbyshire
These beautiful aquatic mammals were once widespread, but disappeared from many parts of England during the 1960s due to a combination of pesticide pollution and habitat loss. During the 1970s organochlorine compounds in agricultural pesticides were banned and the otter hunt was outlawed, helping to reverse the decline.
In Derbyshire, otters have slowly been making their way back to their former haunts. Since 2000, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust volunteers have been monitoring sites across the county for signs of otters, and have recently reported their 500th record on the River Dove near Uttoxeter.
Philip Precey, the Trust’s Water for Wildlife Officer, co-ordinates the otter monitoring project. He explains: 'Otters are very shy and nocturnal, so they are seldom seen, although we have had a few confirmed sightings of the animals themselves. The signs that we usually look for are their droppings, known as spraints, which are used as scent markings, and their tracks in soft sand or mud next to rivers. We’re delighted to have so many records of otters in the county – it shows how strongly they have recovered from the brink of extinction in many parts of England.'
Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s otter monitoring work is carried out as part of its Water for Wildlife Project, funded by Severn Trent Water.
If you would like to find out more about Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s otter monitoring project visit www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk
