Rhubarb wrote:Otter holts do not really assist the sopread of otters. fresh waterways and an ample supply of food, together with reintroductions, helps the otter spread.
Many of the holts I have examined are a joke, just a couple of plastic pipes stuck into the ground. They're an expensive joke. Do they not realise that otter's prefer more natural settings? And, besides, otters lay up in cover more times than they do in a 'holt'. When they do use a holt it is often just a hollow under a root or a gap in a rock pile.
The problem I have is that these animals have been introduced in good numbers and they have caused alot of damage. Suddenly fishery owners have got to find 20, 30K to fence off their fishery and cannot do anything else to protect their fish. Why are all these 'nature' bodies obsessed with apex predators?
Otter numbers are only going to rise, so there's going to be a hell of a lot more news of them.
One fishery I control mink on is about 2 mile from the nearest river, in suburbia, and yet once a month an otter comes and killed at least one carp in the 4-7lb range, eats a mouthful and then leaves it.....
Cheers Alan