Dead otter spotted in Stamford could be good news for wildlife

Otter sightings are considered rare, but one man’s bittersweet find might be a good sign for wildlife-lovers.

Mike Eagles has lived in Stamford for two decades and with his wife, Anna, walks regularly along the River Welland and River Gwash, which both flow through the area.

Having volunteered for 10 years as a safety boat operator for windsurfing at Rutland Water, Mike had become used to otter sightings there, and has kept an eye on his local waterways.

On a recent walk, which took him along Barnack Road next to the Burghley Estate, he and Anna spotted an otter lying on the grass verge.

Mike said: “Unfortunately the otter was dead, but for me it’s confirmation that they are now living in the Stamford area. As more and more cubs have grown up, they may have been forced out of Rutland Water and down the Gwash to find food, and are now in this area. The lake at Burghley is full of fish and so the otter we saw might well have been living there.

“Of course, I felt very sorry to see one dead, but it is an indication that we are looking after our rivers. I’d always hoped to see an otter in Stamford - and now I am hopeful of seeing a live one.”

The otter appeared to have been struck by a vehicle, and its body has now been removed. A team of researchers at Cardiff University called RoadLab collects data on wildlife killed on the UK’s roads, and it is possible that police or Environment Agency officers have sent the otter’s body to them.

Dr Vin Fleming, who chairs the Bourne area group of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, said they do have sightings of otters further downstream in the River Welland, particularly in Market Deeping and at Deeping Lakes Nature Reserve, and agreed with Mike that finding one dead was, perversely, a good sign because it may mean the population has grown.

Have you seen an otter in the River Welland at Stamford or in the River Gwash? Send details and photos to news@lincsonline.co.uk