麻豆社

Otters were once on the brink of extinction because of polluted water. But these days otters are making a comeback and can now even sometimes be seen in the heart of cities. Springwatch sent cameraman Jamie McPherson to Newcastle to meet Kevin O'Hara of the Northumberland Wildlife Trust and film urban otters. First to be seen was a large dog otter. Male otters can have a territory of over 12 miles so it is lucky to see one. City otters have been witnessed raiding bins and catching rats. It all goes to show how opportunistic they are. Jamie filmed the dog otter several times but never found the female. However, in Winchester a mother and cubs were captured on CCTV. The Wildlife Trusts say that otters are well established in 13 urban locations, and have been sighted in others, including Manchester. This indicates a clean bill of health for our rivers.