Otter News Archive
Baby otter found dead in North Woodchester
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21st April 2010
Rachel Clare
Stroud News & Journal, Stroud, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
A BABY otter was recently found dead in North Woodchester by builder Mark Checksfield and his 14-year-old stepdaughter Stevie Cox.
The 18-inch animal, which was brown and had a skinny tail, was found by Stevie, who attends Archway School, on a footpath by the Nailsworth Stream, just off Selsley Road.
Mr Checksfield told the SNJ it looked like the otter was hit by a car.
The wildlife enthusiast said he knew straight away that the animal was an otter.
"I was very sad when I saw it but it also shows that otters could be returning to the Nailsworth valley which is positive," he said.
"My partner Carol, who has lived here for more than 25 years, said a dead otter was discovered about 10 years ago but we haven't seen one since.
"I know that brown trout live in the stream so the otters are probably feeding on them."
Daphne Neville, who has looked after otters at her home in Frampton Mansell for 30 years, said that although the mammals have slowly started to return to British rivers, this sighting was still quite rare.
"Otters are still an endangered species but spotting one is an indicator that the stream is very clean," she said.
"From the size it sounds like this otter was about four to six months old which means it should have still been with its mother.
"Otters go out at night because it is quieter but are not nocturnal so cannot see very well."
British otters were nearly driven to extinction in the 1980s due to pesticides.
Otter population levels are now recovering but road deaths have become one of the significant threats to the success of their re-establishment.
Mrs Neville said the community should follow this advice to help otters that might be living in the Nailsworth Stream: - Drive slowly near the stream at night - Keep dogs on leads near the stream - Report any pollution to the Environment Agency - Pick up other people's litter while out for a walk