W-otter surprise for walkers near stream
An unlikely new river resident has been giving passers-by an "otter" surprise by splashing around in Shrewsbury.
An otter has been spotted swimming upstream in Reabrook, close to the Haycock Way bridge.
A picture of the otter was captured earlier this week and the image was posted on Shrewsbury Town Council's official Twitter feeed.
Stuart Edmunds, a communications officer for Shropshire Wildlife Trust, which is based in Abbey Foregate in Shrewsbury, said signs are suggesting the county's otter population is on the increase, with improved river cleanliness making it more possible for members of the protected species to live in urban areas. He said estimates would suggest there are at least 40 otters living in Shropshire at the moment.
Mr Edmunds said: "It is still quite a rare occurrence if people see them. But we do get more and more records coming from rivers around Shropshire at the moment.
"There is a good chance they can live quite happily in urban areas."
He said otter populations are benefiting from being made a protected species under the 1981 Countryside and Wildlife Act to prevent them being hunted for their fur.
"Otters were persecuted quite heavily to the point of extinction. But they have been protected for at least 25 years and rivers are being looked after much better," he said.
"There is more for them to feed on and more places to live. It is a lot more of a sustainable habitat for them to survive safely."
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