Rob Williams, Jo Pearse and Lucy Mead (behind the camera) undertaking the unpleasant task, 7th January 2015, of transferring some dead otters to Cardiff University, received here by Joanna Masters and Becky Porter.
At the same time Annette Beardsley made a trip from Yeovil to Taunton, transfering an otter held in a local vets freezer as an overflow.
Thanks to all those who find and report and go out and collect these dead otters. Picking them up is never a pleasant task but the information we obtain helps in so many ways. Rob Williams.
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Yes – I always feel sorry for the dead otter but know that collecting it helps vital research to help other otters. Annette Beardsley.
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Was it a Taunton otter that has died? Leanna Turner.
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This was the transfer of 17 dead otters built up to take to Cardiff University for their post mortem programme. None of them were from the river Tone. Interestingly for the first time since 1995, 2015 was the only year we have not recorded a dead otter from the Tone Catchment. However, this may be as a direct result of a high loss from the Tone in 2014, when 9 of the deaths of the 27 recorded in the county were from the Tone. Two of those deaths, in May and June, concerned us so much that Melanie Keating made a special quick trip to Cardiff. Both were found emaciated and not the usual road casualty. One from the Back Stream and the other French Weir.
The sightings of daytime otters often prompts the view that the otters are doing better because we see them, but the picture with otters is so complicated. Lucy Mead.