Urban otters?

[Hazelbug]

I don't usually post on here but I have just seen something which has inspired me to emerge from lurkerdom.

About an hour ago I was walking my dog up Mount Pleasant and I saw a large otter crossing Mayfield road and go into someone's garden before disappearing round the back.

It's a fair distance from the river up there - are pickings so slim that they've resorted to goldfish thievery?

Also - before anyone says I was seeing things - I am 100% certain of what I saw - it was only about 20 yards away from me - definitely not a cat or dog and was way too big to be a stoat or a weasel.

Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon before?

[Dog-eared]

Driving through Bettyhill at 2am after a gig I saw two big otters running downhill on the footpath beside the main road.

[silverfox57]

have seen otters on bridge st in wick at 5 in moring ,stopped and watched them going back down steps at side of bridge to river,have been told that otters will try there luck in urban towns,

[unicorn]

That is a good distance from the river as you say thats the top of spring park?? my mum will be having kittens if it is raiding her pond!!!!!!!:lol:

[percy toboggan]

Lots of urban rotters! For a moment, I thought your thread a mis-print.
What a sensational sighting! Sadly, I've never seen on otter in the wild, or on the High Street.

[hell raizer]

That is a good distance from the river as you say thats the top of spring park?? my mum will be having kittens if it is raiding her pond!!!!!!!:lol:
how right you are, im having a hard enough job keeping the gulls out of my pond and cats :roll:

[lynne duncan]

husband on his way to work one morning saw otter crossing the road in willowbank in wick

[Tighsonas4]

OTTERS
an otter can travel a fair bit from water. in wilder places south uist for example they travelled a fair bit on land and made a burrow
have seen them set traps for them .....not my scene tony

[Kevin Milkins]

I have only seen 1 in the wild at a place I lived for 25 years in Shropshire.
I came accross it while walking up a brook not far from home and although it was nice to catch sight of one it did concern me as I had a large stock of fish in a pond in the garden.
My big concern at the time were Heron and Mink. When I sold my house we agreed a price of £2000 for the fish ,a freind who still lives near my old house and is also a keeper of fish informs me that all the fish I had had been killed and an Otter was the suspect. One of the fish was a Sterlet that was over 3 foot long.

[dragon]

a friend saw one near the wind farm near spittal at 6.30am.

[Tilter]

I don't usually post on here but I have just seen something which has inspired me to emerge from lurkerdom.

Hazelbug, please come out of Lurkdom and do more posting.

I've only seen otters 3 times: (1) crossing the A9 this side of the Berriedale Braes; (2) in the river at Lairg; and (3) 3 juveniles in the Thurso river (a few years ago now) between the road bridge and the (now washed away) footbridge before the salmon thingie.

[balto]

hopefully this poor otter will find its way back to the river before it gets hurt.

[Baconbuttie]

Seen 3 beside the A9 near Shalmstry one night a few weeks back which is quite away from the river. They were about to cross road but turned back when I came along. Seen 2 at Scrabster Harbour and several in Thurso River mouth.

[porshiepoo]

A few months back there was what I think was an Otter dead on the side of the road just past Clyth. I got out the car to move it so it didn't get mullered and my friend and I were certain it was an Otter. Poor thing! :(

[bonami]

Seems there was an otter in the gardens of the OAPs houses in Huddart St yesterday RSPCA. took it away didnt hear what they did with it probably released it in a safe place.

[Welcomefamily]

I seen one on a couple of occasions between Castletown and Dunnet by the Car Park early in the morning and I have also seen him in the sea where the stream comes out. I have also seen one under the road bridge at Melvic as he caught more than I did that day.