Otter sightings draw crowds to riverbank

Wildlife lovers have flocked to the banks of the River Aire in the hope of catching a sight of a family of otters spotted in the area.

At least three of the often elusive mammals have been seen in recent weeks in the river and nearby Leeds & Liverpool Canal, in the Bradford area.

Sharron Bright, from the Canal & River Trust, has been helping members of the public to spot the creatures without disturbing them.

She said: "Sometimes crowds do gather, but what we've seen is people being really respectful of the otter and its space, and that's really important and something to be mindful of for anyone who does come to see it."

"So we've got Otto, Ophelia and Oscar, as we've named them in our walking group," she added.

"The tip is to follow the little lines of bubbles that you tend to see.

"When it swims underwater, follow the line of bubbles and it will give you a clue as to where it's going to re-emerge."

The community engagement coordinator said the public should not feed the animals, keep away from the water's edge and keep their dogs on a lead.

She said: "Last week we saw two together that we believe are a family.

"Then we've got one on the canal that we think might be one of the young of the family. So there are quite a few in this area."

Emily Cowell is an ecologist at the Canal & River Trust and leads its annual otter survey.

Now in its tenth year, the citizen science survey invites members of the public to record signs of otter activity along waterways in the West Midlands.

The trust aims to roll this out across other regions in 2027, including in Yorkshire.

She said: "Of the 13 different species of otter around the world only one is found in Europe – the Eurasian Otter.

"These nocturnal mammals have become a flagship species for conservation after rapid declines in the 1950s saw them restricted to just Wales, Scotland, the West country, and parts of Northern England.

"The ban of harmful pesticides, the cleaning up of the waterways, and legal protection has since helped them expand across most of mainland Britain.

"They also appear to be expanding back into our city centres."

Otters are fully protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) and it is illegal to disturb them.

They are also a priority species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework, according to the Mammal Society charity.

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