Otter kills thousands of pounds worth of fish in raids on garden ponds in Newton Hall, Durham

8:00am Wednesday 6th February 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Gavin Engelbrecht

Left to right: Ron and Bonny Atkinson, Peter Connor and Keith Wood Left to right: Ron and Bonny Atkinson, Peter Connor and Keith Wood

A VORACIOUS otter has been raiding garden ponds on a North-East housing estate killing pet fish worth thousands of pounds – and driving people to their wits’ end.

A wildlife expert has told residents there is nothing much they can about the errant animal, apart from covering their ponds with metal mesh to safeguard their expensive pets.

The otter, a protect species, is believed to have made its way across a series of ponds and wetlands to Newton Hall, in Durham City, from the River Wear more than a mile away.

Keith Wood, of Raby Road, said: “Just before Christmas I first noticed two of my golden orfe, measuring 20 inches, had gone from my pond.

“A month later the otter took five fish over three nights. I was at a loss, so stayed up one night and saw it come and take a koi carp in front of my eyes.”

He added: “I put a temporary fence up and the little blighter still got in and took three gold fish. I secured it since and installed a CCTV camera and recorded the otter trying, unsuccessfully, to get in.

“It has a devastating loss. I have had my fish for about 20 years.”

Ron Atkinson, also of Raby Road, said he had covered his pond for the winter and discovered a fortnight ago his fish, worth £1,000 to replace, had all been taken.

He said: “We have had a pond for 30 years. We are not very happy.”

His neighbour, Peter Connor, said the otter had removed all of his fish – some of them up to 25-years-old.

He said: “Surely the fish have as much right to life as the otter.”

Durham Wildlife Trust reserves manager Mark Richardson said: “There is not a great deal that can be done. If an otter finds a pond that has got fish in, it will return.

“There will be lots of ponds on the estate with fish in. If there is a rich source of food the otter will hang around for a while. It’s a bit like a fox in a henhouse.

“My advice to people is to take protection measures put metal mesh over their ponds. It will eventually have to look for food elsewhere. ”

Motion-activated security lights are another option.

He said: “You can’t trap the otter and move without a special licence from Natural England. And even if you did that there is no guarantee the otter wouldn’t come back again.”

Comments(17)

vercingetorix says...
10:12am Wed 6 Feb 13

When I was about 14 I saw an otter in Lincolnshire, there were only 500 in the whole country then though I believe their numbers have increased greatly. The area of Scarborough where I live is full of foxes !.....after dark it becomes Foxtown ! I'm a real wildlife lover but I sympathise with these fish keepers

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rod-earthman says...
10:53am Wed 6 Feb 13

I've been looking for a way to entice a party of voracious otters to my garden, and now I know how. This weekend I will dig a pond and fill it with juicy Golden Orfe. Unlike the residents of Newton Hall, I'll be sure not to form close personal bonds with the fish. I just don't want that sadness in my life when the inevitable slaughter commences.

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glyn says...
11:46am Wed 6 Feb 13

He said: “Surely the fish have as much right to life as the otter.”


What???? Like keeping them in a tiny pond for 25 years.....I don't think so

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david_* says...
7:54pm Wed 6 Feb 13

two low strands of electric fence plus one wet nose will deter.

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My name is my business says...
10:55pm Wed 6 Feb 13

What will be "re-introduced* to the wild next? Wolves? Bears? Stop messing with things. If they come near my fishpond, I will be re-introducing otter steaks to my menu! :(

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doonhamer says...
9:29am Thu 7 Feb 13

Ron Atkinson, Peter Connor et al get a life. The Otter has as much right to life on this planet as you. Please do not think because you are human that you are superior in any way. Animals do not keep humans in ponds, bowls or cages do they ? then why not let natures creatures live life on this planet as god intended. Everytime a human is attacked by a Great White Shark or a Polar Bear etc it is because the idiot has gone into their domain. If you lose a leg (or more) swimming in shark infested waters, serves you right, if the Shark attacks you in Tescos then you can complain. Perhaps putting lillies etc into your pond would suffice, but if you persevere with fish then quite rightly, so will the Otter.

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doonhamer says...
9:38am Thu 7 Feb 13

My name is my business wrote:
What will be "re-introduced* to the wild next? Wolves? Bears? Stop messing with things. If they come near my fishpond, I will be re-introducing otter steaks to my menu! :(
Wolves and Bears were on this planet long before humans my friend. No doubt evolution will take it's natural course as nothing lasts forever. Otters are a protected species and to come on this site and make veiled threats about putting otter steaks on your menu, gives one the impression that you may be the sort of person that would take the law into his/her own hands. That in itself is illegal and one would hope that the administrators of this site would contact you to remind you of the error of your ways or even report you to the relevant authorities for making threats against endangered and protected species.

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Magic Steve says...
12:10pm Thu 7 Feb 13

If you happen to catch one of these they make lovely curries belive it or not. To give you an idea of the taste they are like Indian curries only a little Otter!

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ace38 says...
12:19pm Thu 7 Feb 13

I agree with doonhamer, leave otters alone. There is no need to keep fish in ponds. They should be in their natural habitat. The main problem with this country is there are too many people in it. Quality of life for humans and animals has gone down. Put ten people in a boat designed for five and it will sink.

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Colcat says...
2:28pm Thu 7 Feb 13

doonhamer wrote:
My name is my business wrote:
What will be "re-introduced* to the wild next? Wolves? Bears? Stop messing with things. If they come near my fishpond, I will be re-introducing otter steaks to my menu! :(
Wolves and Bears were on this planet long before humans my friend. No doubt evolution will take it's natural course as nothing lasts forever. Otters are a protected species and to come on this site and make veiled threats about putting otter steaks on your menu, gives one the impression that you may be the sort of person that would take the law into his/her own hands. That in itself is illegal and one would hope that the administrators of this site would contact you to remind you of the error of your ways or even report you to the relevant authorities for making threats against endangered and protected species.
I find myself in the entirely strange position of agreeing wholeheartedly with Doonhamer. One of us must be ill! ;-)

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doonhamer says...
4:30pm Thu 7 Feb 13

Colcat wrote:
doonhamer wrote:
My name is my business wrote:
What will be "re-introduced* to the wild next? Wolves? Bears? Stop messing with things. If they come near my fishpond, I will be re-introducing otter steaks to my menu! :(
Wolves and Bears were on this planet long before humans my friend. No doubt evolution will take it's natural course as nothing lasts forever. Otters are a protected species and to come on this site and make veiled threats about putting otter steaks on your menu, gives one the impression that you may be the sort of person that would take the law into his/her own hands. That in itself is illegal and one would hope that the administrators of this site would contact you to remind you of the error of your ways or even report you to the relevant authorities for making threats against endangered and protected species.
I find myself in the entirely strange position of agreeing wholeheartedly with Doonhamer. One of us must be ill! ;-)
Your kind comment is appreciated. Life is full of surprises.

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Captain Hindsight says...
1:59pm Fri 8 Feb 13

My name is my business wrote:
What will be "re-introduced* to the wild next? Wolves? Bears? Stop messing with things. If they come near my fishpond, I will be re-introducing otter steaks to my menu! :(
Oh this is interesting news, having had our cat blamed and forced to re-home it under threat of death..... No doubt these other deep-thinkers like the MENSA candidate above will be considering poisoned bait and the like; I wonder how many other animals will suffer to protect their precious fish? Hopefully they will be "re-introduced" to a court of law. I ask you, would you leave what is essentially "food" to many animals (inc. us!) outside? You wouldn't expect a plate of steak left outside to be there next day, so if you have had fish outside for 30 years with nary a Heron in sight consider yourself lucky. And as for their value, would you leave that much cash lying around outside?

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CandyCrush says...
2:59pm Fri 8 Feb 13

The otter took the fish this time,but after this article, any thieves who are clever enough to read now know that a fair few houses in Raby Road have expensively stocked fish ponds in their gardens. We'll watch out for this story in the next few weeks.

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oxgene says...
3:39pm Fri 8 Feb 13

I have every sympathy for the otter but i also have every sympathy for the poor fish and wildlife. And after reading some of the arrogant bigoted posts on here i can understand why anglers etc, are annoyed.It seems as soon as there is bad news about otter behavior( verbally attack the complainant)use any excuse rather than admit there is a growing problem.

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victorjames says...
7:40pm Fri 8 Feb 13

We have an interfering former parish councillor in our village who some years ago lost all her pond fish to a heron. I still remember the warm glow this news gave me. (it still does)

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one_and_one_still_make_two says...
9:33pm Fri 8 Feb 13

The otter does not know, nor does it care, how much the fish are worth. Otters eat fish. That is what ?they do, and have done for millions of years, so if you have pet fish (pet fish???), then you will have to protect them from such creatures. how difficult is that to understand?

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oxgene says...
12:14pm Sat 9 Feb 13

So why are these apex predators raiding garden ponds, travelling miles to get to them!? IF supposedly, there are plenty of fish easily available in the quiet rivers and lakes?. And please do not say it's because it's easy pickings,going into noisy built up area's risking dogs etc. Plus coming back to raid fenced off ponds. Yes it's behavior is that of a fox, the fox of the river not only taking fish but also aquatic birdlife and other wildlife as examples. The main otter diet has been eels but the eel population has crashed and now is a protected species (not that an otter will care). Sadly the rare avocet colony at Pensthorp was badly raided a few years ago a very embarrassing situation,as otters were the culprits. Otters are here to stay....but admit there is an increasing problem and work with people to find an acceptable solution.Don't just ridicule them because they do not agree with you.

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