OTTERS have been spotted at Teesmouth National Nature Reserve for the first time.
Local wildlife experts hope recent late night sightings of the elusive mammals around Seal Sands mean they have returned to the Tees.
The sightings coincide with the recent installation of two artificial holts – otter homes – at secret locations on the estuary.
Otters are largely nocturnal animals so the holts will provide somewhere for them to shelter during the day and, hopefully, breed.
Mike Leakey, Natural England’s senior reserve warden at Teesmouth, said: “This is very exciting as it’s the first time otters have been seen on the Nature Reserve.
“Teesmouth is already important for wildlife with its huge flocks of birds, seal colony and flowering orchids, and to have otters back would be a wonderful addition for the area.
“They are a top predator of fish and their return is a tribute to the vastly improved water quality in and around the estuary.”
The otter has an 80pc fish diet of mostly eels, eating up to 1kg a day.
Hartlepool Borough Council and Huntsman Pigments teamed up to provide the holts which were installed by students on the environmental conservation course at East Durham College, Houghall. Gary Watson of Huntsman said: “I hope this proves to be another good example of how wildlife on Teesside can co-exist 'cheek by jowl' with industry. At Huntsman we take a real interest in the wildlife on the site and are justifiably proud of our achievements.”
Otters were once widespread in Britain but became almost extinct by 1980 following a devastating crash in the population that started in the 1960s. It was largely blamed on pollution from pesticides and the loss of traditional habitats.
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