Otters spotted along the River Don

THINGS are set to get a little bit “otter” in Rotherham.

Nature lovers have spotted the popular water mammals along the River Don as well as other tell-tale signs including footprints, droppings and the presence of their runs which they travel along to the water’s edge.

The Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust (SRWT) has launched its Otterly Amazing! appeal in a bid to raise £20,000 to restore the otters’ watery habitat and record their daily activity.

The money raised will go towards initiatives aimed at improving wildlife habitats in and around Sheffield and Rotherham.

Part of this money will be used to purchase camera traps that will record the activities of otters so conservationists can understand their activities in the area.

Cathy Slater, head of development at the trust, said: “We want to raise money so we can do more survey work to find out how otters are doing.”

Habitat improvement work in the Rotherham area is aimed at helping otters as well as other wildlife.

The trust has developed a wetland at its Centenary Riverside reserve in Templeborough, working with Rotherham Borough Council.

Work is also continuing on other sites at Kilnhurst Ings and Catcliffe, in conjunction with the Environment Agency and the council, to create ditches and scrapes that will help to retain more water in the flood plain.

Mrs Slater said: “If we get enough funding then we want to train up volunteers to do survey work.

“If people think that they’ve seen an otter then it would be great if they reported it, though it can be difficult as mink are also on the riverside and they can look quite similar, so it’s easy for someone to confuse a mink with an otter.”

To contribute to the Otterly Amazing! appeal, go to http://www.wildsheffield.com or send a cheque to Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust, Victoria Hall, 37 Stafford Road, Sheffield S2 2SF, made payable to Sheffield Wildlife Trust with ‘Otter appeal’ written on the back.