OTTERS are believed to be breeding at a nature reserve near York for the first time in decades.

The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust says a mother with two cubs was seen at Wheldrake Ings in January.

Then, last month, an otter was caught on camera scampering on ice during the cold spell in March, with the trust releasing the film.

The trust assumes otters have been present at Wheldrake Ings in the 50 years it has managed the nature reserve but they are rarely seen.

The video can be seen HERE

A spokesperson told the Press: “We’ve often found spraint and the holts they lie up in, but we only get about one report every 18 months or so of actually seeing them physically and this is usually only a single otter.

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“The sighting of the family in January was the most exciting part of the presence confirmation as this confirms otters are breeding on site. Normally, the only information we receive is an occasional sighting of an individual reported on the river or the main ditch, rather than a full-grown female and two near full grown cubs. Spotting an otter is also still a fairly rare privilege!”

The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust believes there are otters at Askham Bog nature reserve, but they have not been seen, though there is evidence of them feeding. The trust has received reports of otters in the Foss and Ouse, but these are not areas it manages.

Crazy otters spotted playing in the River Foss

The UK has just around 11,000 otters, perhaps less than many believe as a male can occupy up to 30km of river as a single territory. This is why, the trust says it is hard to estimate their numbers in York. Otters can also be confused with the non-native and invasive mink.

Last month, David Findlay of Haxby complained of otters ‘blighting’ his life by taking fish from his fishing lake. The 90-year-old even sought advice from Sir David Attenborough on the issue.

The Environment Agency, Angling Trust and others say robust fencing is needed to protect fish stocks and any work to deter otters must be done under licence from the Environment Agency.

Otters spotted in the River Ouse

Otters are predators at the top of the food chain and will also take rats, birds, amphibians, crab, etc, if available, and they don’t just target fish.

The trust spokesperson added: “Otters are a protected species – It is an offence to deliberately, capture, injure or kill otters or water voles, or to damage, destroy or obstruct their breeding or resting places.”

“Although they have come a long way from the brink of catastrophic decline seen in the 1950s and 60s, otters are still rare and fairly elusive.

“Otters are a signal of improving water quality and so spotting them in our urban rivers is definitely a cause for celebration.”