WHERE TO GO OTTER SPOTTING

Bosherston Lakes in Pembrokeshire is one of the most reliable places for seeing these mammals. Even I've seen one swimming among the lily pads here. They are mostly nocturnal, so it's best to look for them at dawn and dusk (nationaltrust.org. uk/ stack pole/ trails/ bosh er st on lily-pond s-freshwater-magic-walk ).

Earsham Wetland Centre on the banks of the River Waveney, on the Suffolk-norfolk border, offers free entry and a riverside walk where they are regularly spotted. It is the former otter-breeding centre for The Otter Trust (earsham wetlandcentre.com).

Volunteers can help monitor otter populations for wildlife charities. Shropshire Wildlife Trust’s Otter Project uses camera traps to search for otters on the River Severn( shropshire wildlife trust.org.uk/what-we-do/ wild-water/otter-project), and the Canal & River Trust is seeking volunteers to help survey otters on the waterways of Birmingham. Contact Paul Wilkinson at enquiries.westmidlands@canalrivertrust.org.uk.

Perhaps the most foolproof location for otters is the Isle of Mull. Other sea lochs along Scotland's west coast are similarly rich in otters, which can be seen foraging for food on the water's edge. But don’t mistakenly call these beasts ‘sea otters’ – they are still our native otter, and not the different North American sea otter (visitscotland.com/ destinations-maps/isle-mull).