Watch: Otter enjoys a spot of sunbathing in River Severn at Shrewsbury

Now a large dog otter has been caught on camera entertaining those on the riverbank in Shrewsbury.

Staff at Shropshire Wildlife Trust in Abbey Foregate have been kept busy with his antics over the last week and have even managed to capture his frolics on film.

John Hughes from Shropshire Wildlife trust said: "We have had quite a few calls about this and we have seen him enjoying himself in the river.

"He is close to the English Bridge and it seems there is a good stock of fish which is keeping him there. We have seen him catching and eating fish as well as just spending time in the water. He is a big male and he seems very comfortable where he is. It has been wonderful to see him enjoying himself so close to people."

Otters have long, slim bodies and relatively short limbs with webbed paws. They have very soft, insulated underfur, which is protected by an outer layer of long guard hairs. This traps a layer of air which keeps them dry and warm under water.

In water as warm as 10 °C (50 °F), an otter needs to catch 100 g (3.5 oz) of fish per hour to survive. Most species hunt for three to five hours each day and nursing mothers up to eight hours each day. For most otters, fish is the staple of their diet. This is often supplemented by frogs, crayfish and crabs.

Otters are active hunters, chasing prey in the water or searching the beds of rivers, lakes or the seas. Most species live beside water, but river otters usually enter it only to hunt or travel, otherwise spending much of their time on land to avoid their fur becoming waterlogged.

Otters are playful animals and appear to engage in various behaviors for sheer enjoyment, such as making waterslides and then sliding on them into the water. They may also find and play with small stones.