Wherever you are in the UK, there is always excitement when an otter is spotted going about their important business. Whether they are rummaging in the shallows and snuffling about under the rocks or fishing in the pools before sunning in a bed of grass on the shore, having a visit from these highly curious and personable mammals always is a highlight for me.
Unfortunately, it is very rare for an otter to live beyond 4 years old in recent years when they have been recorded to live up to 12 years old. The cause of this has not been fully concluded however a report from Cardiff University has shown the devastating impact chemicals in the UK rivers can have on an otter’s organs. With otters in the UK being at the top of the food chain in UK rivers, any toxins in the river course can accumulate at the top trophic level, where otters sit.
It is largely accepted that the decline in otter numbers in Britain was caused by levels of organic pollutants getting into the waterways after the ban on hunting. With the government making controversial changes (after agreeing to reduce species and biodiversity decline) to allow the use of a proven highly damaging neonicotinoid on sugar beets, the future of many species is uncertain and begins to raise questions to if there is enough of an effort from those in charge to protect our already fragile ecosystems and declining conditions of our UK rivers.
To continue to see otters in our rivers and to allow nature to thrive in communities, efforts need to be made to protect and respect nature’s needs. This can be on a personal level by growing plants favored by bees and other pollinators or not cutting your lawn as much, but we also need governmental and national scale support. Otters are lovely but they can only be supported by a strong foundation of biodiversity. Unfortunately, in the UK, biodiversity has been cut in half and continues to drop rapidly.
Tom Knowles WWW.TJKNature.com
Comments