Rare Otter Spotted Swimming in Worcester to Birmingham Canal

An otter appeared in Worcester’s canal. People gathered to watch the animal, and bystanders commented on how unusual it was. They also noted the abundance of fish there. Someone joked that it was posing for them. People wondered if the otter was lost.

Otters were once almost gone in the UK. Now, about 11,000 live in the wild. Kevin Maltby saw an otter before in the canal. He spotted this one on January 29th, swimming alone around 2 PM.

The otter seemed unbothered by the people nearby. Maltby had seen two otters there before. This one was simply playing in the canal, and he found it enjoyable to watch. He was surprised many people missed it.

Worcestershire Wildlife Trust says seeing otters is lucky, as otters are mostly active at night. The trust states that otter sightings are becoming common, particularly when the Severn floods.

Otters almost disappeared from the UK by the 1980s. Pesticides in rivers harmed their food, and hunting also threatened them. Banning harmful pesticides and protecting otters helped their population recover.

Otters now live in every county river again. They are still hard to find usually, but flooding rivers force them out sometimes. Floods make hunting harder for them, which can make them easier to spot.