Otter

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The European otter (Lutra lutra), also called the Eurasian otter, inhabits Europe, most of Asia and parts of North Africa. In the British Isles, they were common as recently as the 1950s, but became rare in many areas due to the use of chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides, habitat loss and water pollution (they remained relatively common in parts of Scotland and Ireland). Population levels reached a low point in the 1980s, but are now recovering strongly. The UK Biodiversity Action Plan envisages the re-establishment of otters by 2010 in all the UK rivers and coastal areas they inhabited in 1960. Roadkill deaths have become one of the significant threats to the success of their re-establishment.

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Size: 5120px × 3413px
Location: UK
Photo credit: © TomsPhotos / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: british, caost, eastuary, european, history, lakes, lutra, natural, nature, otter, ponds, rivers, sea, streams, uk, wetland, wetlands, wildlife