Alex Gowney
Senior Member & Supporter
This is from todays Express. Apparently, our rivers are now much healthier due to the re-introduction of otters and a decimated fish population is down to-Iwait fot it- overfishing! A pile of innaccurate, sentimental drivel..
Otters are coming back in their droves to waterways in towns and cities
OTTERLY BESOTTED
Daily Express Monday September 3,2012
By Miriam Darlington
ONCE on the verge of extinction otters have made a remarkable comeback and are now thriving in our waterways.
Miriam Darlington explains her fascination with these lovable creatures.
I've often wondered what it is about otters. They truly have the “ahhh” factor and seem to be able to melt even the hardest heart. Recently voted Britain’s favourite mammal, otters never fail to make people feel happy. But why? Is it the mysterious nocturnal lifestyle, the elegant, streamlined features, the connection with their watery element, the joyful character or the fact that they are one of the few remaining large predators in our rather unwild British landscape?
The answer is it’s all of these things. For my book Otter Country, which recounts my search for wild otters in Britain, I have taken otter fascination to new levels.
To do this I gave up my job as a school teacher and became a nature writer. My curiosity took me across the length and breadth of Britain to find out more about this secretive animal. I tracked and studied it in many wild and windswept locations and along the way met some of the people who have devoted their lives to its preservation.I searched the mountainous west coast of Scotland where otters are easier to spot because they come out more often in the daylight.
I travelled to Northumberland and found otters near Lindisfarne among the sandy coastal dunes and even plucky ones swimming in the Tyne in the centre of Newcastl. I scoured the Somerset levels, the rivers of Devon and climbed to the top of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall. In all these places I found otters. Returned from the brink of extinction here is a survivor, a creature that very nearly disappeared from our landscape when toxic pesticides washed into our rivers and lakes. It is also a story of redemption.Thirty years ago hunters noticed that there were nearly no otters left and ceased their persecution of the breed. Now otters are back and today they enjoy the highest levels of protection. Rivers are cleaner and the whole food chain is reaching a healthier balance once more. The otter is an emblem for the success of nature conservation and, on a more spiritual level, a totem animal, one that has guided us to a better understanding of wild nature and its needs.
Many people make their first connection with wild animals through stories and my moment came when I read Henry Williamson’s classic Tarka The Otter.This book was first published in 1927 when otter hunting was still a highly popular sport in Britain. It may seem unthinkable now but spectators who would never dream of killing an otter themselves used to gather on river banks to watch what was then considered to be an exciting sport.The young Williamson, a keen naturalist, had just returned from fighting in the First World War. Weary of violence he poured all his disapproval into his story. The lovable aquatic hero gained the sympathy
of millions of readers. When I read it aged 10 I was equally affected. But then I found out there were no wild otters left where I lived so I started my own campaign to save them. I made a news sheet publication entitled Otter News which had a circulation of my entire street. I still have four remaining copies and they contain news clippings, strident editorials and information about otters and how to preserve and protect them. I was not alone. Many conservation organisations were campaigning for the otters’ preservation. An expert named Philip Wayre set up the Otter Trust in Suffolk and I was one of the very first junior members. Wayre had begun breeding otters for reintroduction into the wild and his pioneering work paid off. The Trust has closed because it is no longer necessary.
Although otters have made a dramatic recovery they are still rare and very vulnerable. There are many misconceptions and one of these is that they ravage fish populations. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Statistically it is humans who have caused the most damage to fish populations through pollution and over-fishing. Otters help to maintain the aquatic ecosystem by only taking what they need and like any predator will usually take the weaker prey. The effect of this is a healthier river. They control the non-native mink, a creature far more dangerous to fish populations than otters. Mink have nearly wiped out our lovely Ratty, the adorable water vole from The Wind In The Willows. If left to its own devices the otter population regulates itself depending on how much food there is in the river and they do not need any “management” interventions. All otters actually need are cleaner waterways, healthy fish populations and plenty of quiet and overgrown river banks. We need only leave otters in peace, reduce pollution and restore and preserve their habitat. One of their biggest threats today is the car.
Many hundreds are killed on the roads each year – as many as used to be killed by hunting. I visited the Cardiff University otter project, where these otter road victims are collected and forensically examined. Everything about them is recorded, from toxicology and parasitology to the weight of each individual organ, contributing vast amounts of data that may be useful for conservation and further research. I wanted to witness this important work and so I volunteered to observe an otter autopsy.
“You might want to take off your jumper and leave it outside,” Dr Liz Chadwick advised when I arrived. “The smell sort of lingers.” She handed me a white coat. With a sinking feeling I realised I was going to be doing more than just watching. We auled our dead otter on to the zinc slab and laid him gently on his back. His paws drooped submissively on to his chest as Liz swabbed his fur and examined his injuries. Everything was consistent with a road traffic accident. His hind leg and jaw were broken and a small trickle of blood ran over the white sharpness of his teeth. He was a magnificent animal in his prime with the most beautiful fur I have ever seen. His paws were worn and wrinkled, like an old person who has walked a long way barefoot. With a lump in my throat as I touched that beautiful fur, I realised that this would be the closest I would probably ever come to a wild otter.
Spending more time out of doors than in and going out at dusk and at dawn, I have now seen many otters in the wild and have learned not to encroach too close. The surprise of their shy, sinuous watery beauty astounds me each time but it will be the beautiful dead dog otter at the research project that will remain with me. Otters are living closer to most of us than we think. They are coming back in their droves to waterways in towns and cities. Man-made otter holts have been built along the River Lea in our capital city, within sniffing distance of the Olympic stadium. Vast efforts have been put into cleaning up this and many other urban rivers in the hope and belief that otters will return to even these most densely populated urban areas.
Otters are a barometer of the health of our rivers and while we are mindful of them and keep a weather eye upon their mysterious lives, they will continue to grace our landscape for generations to come.
So there you have it, aren't us anglers so lucky to have conservation minded guardians of the waterways called otters back
Otters are coming back in their droves to waterways in towns and cities
OTTERLY BESOTTED
Daily Express Monday September 3,2012
By Miriam Darlington
ONCE on the verge of extinction otters have made a remarkable comeback and are now thriving in our waterways.
Miriam Darlington explains her fascination with these lovable creatures.
I've often wondered what it is about otters. They truly have the “ahhh” factor and seem to be able to melt even the hardest heart. Recently voted Britain’s favourite mammal, otters never fail to make people feel happy. But why? Is it the mysterious nocturnal lifestyle, the elegant, streamlined features, the connection with their watery element, the joyful character or the fact that they are one of the few remaining large predators in our rather unwild British landscape?
The answer is it’s all of these things. For my book Otter Country, which recounts my search for wild otters in Britain, I have taken otter fascination to new levels.
To do this I gave up my job as a school teacher and became a nature writer. My curiosity took me across the length and breadth of Britain to find out more about this secretive animal. I tracked and studied it in many wild and windswept locations and along the way met some of the people who have devoted their lives to its preservation.I searched the mountainous west coast of Scotland where otters are easier to spot because they come out more often in the daylight.
I travelled to Northumberland and found otters near Lindisfarne among the sandy coastal dunes and even plucky ones swimming in the Tyne in the centre of Newcastl. I scoured the Somerset levels, the rivers of Devon and climbed to the top of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall. In all these places I found otters. Returned from the brink of extinction here is a survivor, a creature that very nearly disappeared from our landscape when toxic pesticides washed into our rivers and lakes. It is also a story of redemption.Thirty years ago hunters noticed that there were nearly no otters left and ceased their persecution of the breed. Now otters are back and today they enjoy the highest levels of protection. Rivers are cleaner and the whole food chain is reaching a healthier balance once more. The otter is an emblem for the success of nature conservation and, on a more spiritual level, a totem animal, one that has guided us to a better understanding of wild nature and its needs.
Many people make their first connection with wild animals through stories and my moment came when I read Henry Williamson’s classic Tarka The Otter.This book was first published in 1927 when otter hunting was still a highly popular sport in Britain. It may seem unthinkable now but spectators who would never dream of killing an otter themselves used to gather on river banks to watch what was then considered to be an exciting sport.The young Williamson, a keen naturalist, had just returned from fighting in the First World War. Weary of violence he poured all his disapproval into his story. The lovable aquatic hero gained the sympathy
of millions of readers. When I read it aged 10 I was equally affected. But then I found out there were no wild otters left where I lived so I started my own campaign to save them. I made a news sheet publication entitled Otter News which had a circulation of my entire street. I still have four remaining copies and they contain news clippings, strident editorials and information about otters and how to preserve and protect them. I was not alone. Many conservation organisations were campaigning for the otters’ preservation. An expert named Philip Wayre set up the Otter Trust in Suffolk and I was one of the very first junior members. Wayre had begun breeding otters for reintroduction into the wild and his pioneering work paid off. The Trust has closed because it is no longer necessary.
Although otters have made a dramatic recovery they are still rare and very vulnerable. There are many misconceptions and one of these is that they ravage fish populations. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Statistically it is humans who have caused the most damage to fish populations through pollution and over-fishing. Otters help to maintain the aquatic ecosystem by only taking what they need and like any predator will usually take the weaker prey. The effect of this is a healthier river. They control the non-native mink, a creature far more dangerous to fish populations than otters. Mink have nearly wiped out our lovely Ratty, the adorable water vole from The Wind In The Willows. If left to its own devices the otter population regulates itself depending on how much food there is in the river and they do not need any “management” interventions. All otters actually need are cleaner waterways, healthy fish populations and plenty of quiet and overgrown river banks. We need only leave otters in peace, reduce pollution and restore and preserve their habitat. One of their biggest threats today is the car.
Many hundreds are killed on the roads each year – as many as used to be killed by hunting. I visited the Cardiff University otter project, where these otter road victims are collected and forensically examined. Everything about them is recorded, from toxicology and parasitology to the weight of each individual organ, contributing vast amounts of data that may be useful for conservation and further research. I wanted to witness this important work and so I volunteered to observe an otter autopsy.
“You might want to take off your jumper and leave it outside,” Dr Liz Chadwick advised when I arrived. “The smell sort of lingers.” She handed me a white coat. With a sinking feeling I realised I was going to be doing more than just watching. We auled our dead otter on to the zinc slab and laid him gently on his back. His paws drooped submissively on to his chest as Liz swabbed his fur and examined his injuries. Everything was consistent with a road traffic accident. His hind leg and jaw were broken and a small trickle of blood ran over the white sharpness of his teeth. He was a magnificent animal in his prime with the most beautiful fur I have ever seen. His paws were worn and wrinkled, like an old person who has walked a long way barefoot. With a lump in my throat as I touched that beautiful fur, I realised that this would be the closest I would probably ever come to a wild otter.
Spending more time out of doors than in and going out at dusk and at dawn, I have now seen many otters in the wild and have learned not to encroach too close. The surprise of their shy, sinuous watery beauty astounds me each time but it will be the beautiful dead dog otter at the research project that will remain with me. Otters are living closer to most of us than we think. They are coming back in their droves to waterways in towns and cities. Man-made otter holts have been built along the River Lea in our capital city, within sniffing distance of the Olympic stadium. Vast efforts have been put into cleaning up this and many other urban rivers in the hope and belief that otters will return to even these most densely populated urban areas.
Otters are a barometer of the health of our rivers and while we are mindful of them and keep a weather eye upon their mysterious lives, they will continue to grace our landscape for generations to come.
So there you have it, aren't us anglers so lucky to have conservation minded guardians of the waterways called otters back
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