The European otter (Lutra lutra) is widely recognised as an emblem for nature conservation in the UK because it is a top predator and an important biological indicator of the health of our rivers and wetlands. Monitoring the status of the otter therefore gives us a valuable measure of the state of our water and wetland ecosystems. In Wales as in much of the UK, it is a largely nocturnal animal and is rarely observed in the wild. It is however possible to detect its presence by searching for its distinctive droppings (spraints) and footprints.
As part of a scheme to monitor the distribution of otters throughout the UK, five Welsh otter survey were carried out as follows:
- 1st survey: 1977-78 run and funded by NCC.
- 2nd survey: 1984-85 run and funded by Vincent Wildlife Trust
- 3rd survey: 1991 run and funded by Vincent Wildlife Trust
- 4th survey: 2002 run by EAW and the Wildlife Trusts and funded by EAW, CCW and Welsh Water.
- 5th survey: 2009-2010 run by EAW and the Wildlife Trusts, IBAP officers and the Snowdonia Mammal Group.
The aim of these surveys was to monitor the distribution of otters throughout Wales. Sites were selected by accessibility and likelihood of finding signs of otter activity, typically road bridges and the confluences of watercourses. The number of sites visited per hydrometric region varied. No attempt was made to randomise the sampling effort, but there was some site variability due different issues when the surveys were undertaken.
This dataset is made up of two parts; the 3rd and 4th surveys (1991 and 2002), and the 5th survey 2009-2010. The full Welsh for the 1st and 2nd surveys, for 1997-78, 1984-85 is not currently available. The 1991 and 2002 data are currently available on the NBN Gateway (published by JNCC) as redacted open data.
This raw data is currently not available, however more detailed information about each surveying year can be found in the reports available through the library (see related titles). The 2009-2010 otter surveys are available though NRW but will be issued under licence.