Watch: Experts thrilled as otters filmed at Shropshire beauty spot
Wildlife experts have been tracking them for months, and finally two otters have been caught on camera in Shropshire.
Staff from the Meres and Mosses Landscape Partnership Scheme have been tracking evidence of otters in north Shropshire and were thrilled to spot a couple of the nocturnal mammals with motion sensor cameras in Ellesmere.
Stuart Edmunds, of Shropshire Wildlife Trust and Shropshire Mammal Group, said the news was an exciting find for the county.
He said: "Otter numbers are now returning to a sustainable level and this is an excellent sign that water courses are now returning to healthy states after suffering from years of over-pollution."
The video shows two otters ducking in and out of their home during the night.
Despite what most people think, wildlife experts believe otter numbers have been increasing naturally after successful re-colonisation from Wales and breeding. There have not been any cases of introductions of captive-bred otters in Shropshire and surrounding counties, and the last case of reintroduction in the country happened in East Anglia and Yorkshire in 1999.
Luke Neal, community officer for Meres and Mosses Landscape Partnership, said: "We are seeing signs of otters now wherever we go – in Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth and north Shropshire. It is very exciting to see the numbers rise after they were persecuted years ago."
And in a bid to keep mapping otter sightings across the county, members of the public are being invited to report any sightings to the Shropshire Mammal Group. Sightings can be emailed to SMGrecord@gmail.com or tweeted to @meresandmosses
For more details visit www.themeresand mosses.co.uk or www.shropshiremammal group.com
