Otter returns to upper Rother River

Otter returns to upper Rother River

September 23, 2015

The first confirmed evidence of an otter on the upper Rother River in Hampshire since 2001 has been captured on film as part of work to boost local wildlife in the South Downs National Park.

A camera trap, set up on the river was put in place to monitor whether invasive species American mink, which threatens our native wildlife, was at large in the area. But instead it’s recorded a young otter visiting the site on two separate occasions since the start of September.

Chris Gurney, Apprentice Ranger for the South Downs National Park, said:

“It’s been fourteen years since the last confirmed sighting of an otter here – probably because the river hasn’t been healthy enough to support the fish they eat.

“There’s been a real community effort to improve the habitat with local fishing groups, landowners and volunteers all working together to restore the river and encourage more sympathetic land management, this hard work is starting to pay off. However the Rother is still failing water quality standards and there’s a long way to go. We need to work together to reduce the pollution running off surrounding land.

“Everyone would love to see this otter find a mate and settle down,” continued Chris. “We can’t rest on our laurels – there’s a lot more to be done to improve the river’s health so we can make it a great spot to raise an otter family.”

The European otter (Lutra lutra), was common in UK until the 1950s, but had become rare in many parts of England by the 1980s due to pollution and habitat loss. It is now making a strong recovery.

Although there have been some anecdotal reports of otters in recent years, this is the first animal caught on camera. So far footage shows one otter, believed to be a young male, which may have travelled from the River Meon, where work to control mink and reintroduce water voles has already seen otter numbers grow. Water voles have been proven to be a keystone species and are a crucial prey species for larger predators. Otters are apex predators which need a carefully balanced ecosystem in order to thrive.