‘Delightful’ otters are making big comeback
WILD otters are normally difficult to see, as they tend to appear very early in the morning or late at night and often it is only their distant swimming silhouette that is glimpsed in the dark.
However, visitors to RSPB Leighton Moss nature reserve, in Silverdale, had an extremely unusual face to face meeting with a wild otter recently when they saw one very close to the path during their visit.
They had never seen a wild otter before and couldn’t believe their eyes as it seemed as interested in the watchers as the watchers were in it and constantly came back for a look before it leisurely swam off up the channel.
2019 has been a good year for otters at Leighton Moss, with several otters being seen regularly in the daytime during the last couple of months.
Throughout the UK otters have made a fantastic recovery, after a devastating crash in the population, which almost drove them to extinction in the 1980s.
Their decline in numbers started in the 1960s, which was blamed largely on pollution from pesticides and the loss of traditional habitats.
Up until 1996, otters were regularly seen at Leighton Moss, before they disappeared for about 10 years.
It is believed that the return of otters to this popular nature reserve has been helped by the habitat management work carried out by the RSPB, thanks to the generous funding by SITA Trust, EU Life fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The digging out of the reed bed debris from the pools, which has built up over many years, has helped improve the water quality of the reserve’s wetlands and has increased the fish population which are eaten by otters and other wildlife.
To ensure improved water quality in the longer term, it is important that this sediment removal work continues and wider issues in the catchment are addressed.
A visitor officer at Leighton Moss said: “It’s really fantastic that these delightful animals are back here again.
“Since their return, two otter cubs were seen in 2007, another two were seen in 2009 and thankfully many more since then.
“Otters are a great example of a wonderful conservation success story.
“Although there is still an element of luck to seeing wild otters, I hope that more of our visitors may be able to catch a glimpse of these fantastic animals.”
Although otters are now beginning to recover, there are lots of rare and threatened species of wildlife that also rely on wetlands and more of this valuable habitat needs to be created to help them.
The RSPB is working with farmers and other land managers in the Morecambe Bay area to restore and create areas of wildlife-rich wetlands and other habitats as part of their national landscapescale conservation programme.
Leighton Moss is one of the RSPB’s most popular nature reserves and welcomes new visitors.
With its variety of habitats, including the largest reed bed in North West England, there is always something to see.
A visitor centre with an award-winning café and gift shop, nature trails and all-weather hides make it the ideal place to watch a wide range of wildlife.
As well as otter spotting, October is the ideal time to see the wonderful bearded tits and look out for the magnificent red deer stags emerging from the reeds to battle in the rutting season.