 More than 100 toads and frogs were mutilated |
Wildlife officers are now working on a theory that otters are responsible for mutilating more than 100 frogs on an estate in Aberdeenshire. Police launched a hunt for a human culprit after the back legs were torn off the reptiles.
But Grampian Police say experts have confirmed that this sort of feeding activity has been linked to otters.
The amphibians were killed after being captured in a pond on the Monymusk Estate near Inverurie.
Wildlife officers have since found a second batch of mutilated toads close to the site of the first find.
The mature frogs and toads were found on Sunday by a worker on the estate, which is owned by Sir Archibald Grant.
A second batch was discovered, prompting animal welfare experts to suspect that the culprits may be otters, who are known to target frogs for food.
 Feeding otters have been put in the frame |
Wildlife Crime Officer Pc David MacKinnon said: "The majority of the amphibians in this incident were toads which are known to have poison glands on their skin. "This results in the otters biting the legs from the toads and skinning out the flesh.
"It therefore appears that these incidents, albeit not very common, are likely to be the work of otters and not a cruelty offence as first thought."
Frogs and toads, the natural prey of mink, heron and otters, are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.
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