River Otters
Otters live near the coast among rock, or they live in freshwater rivers and canals where there are enough bushes and trees to provide cover. The otter is a very shy creature which comes out at night to hunt. It mainly eats fish of all types but its favourite is the eel. It will also eat birds, frogs and even baby rabbits. |
Otters make their homes in holes in the riverbank. |
Their home is called a den. They are shy animals and spend a lot of the daytime in their den. |
This river otter is outside its den.
They come out at night to hunt. They like to eat all kinds of fish, but their favourite is the eel. Otters will also eat birds, frogs and even baby rabbits. |
Many years ago, otters were hunted for their fur, or just for sport. They were seen as pests, and people wanted to get rid of them. Despite this, otters continued to live in large numbers in this country until the late 1950s. By this time farmers were widely using pesticides.
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Pesticides are chemicals that kill weeds or insects. |
The problem with pesticides is that when the rain washes them into rivers the pesticides pollute the water. In 1981, it was decided that otters were an endangered species and should be protected. You are most likely to see otters in the wild in Scotland and in Ireland. |