New trail camera footage is showing a robust otter population along a British river, according to the BBC.
The River Deerness, just south of Newcastle, has been host to 38 otter sightings last year and another seven this year, according to the Wear Rivers Trust. This is a sign of an ecosystem healthy enough to support apex predators.
"It could be just one or two otters or a family that cover the whole river, and with a really healthy river, you could have more than that," said Daniel Rutland with the Wear Rivers Trust, according to the BBC. "But we'll take the good news and enjoy it."
Otters on Camera! 🦦📸 Trail cameras within the Wear Catchment have captured some incredible footage of European otters,...
Posted by Wear Rivers Trust on Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Otters have been making a rebound across the U.K.
Sightings have been made in Hampshire, London, Worcester, and Oxfordshire. Pressures from industrial chemicals and pesticides nearly wiped otters out of the country in the 1950s, but strong legislation, including chemical bans and species protections, has supported recovery since the 70s.
Trail cameras are a vital tool in informing these types of protections. Especially elusive and nocturnal species can be hard to spot, but unobtrusive cameras can generate reliable data without stressing wildlife with human presence. Armed with better data, conservationists can make a strong case for accurate, targeted protections.
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While the fresh otter sightings are good news, waterways in the U.K. aren't especially robust habitats. The Wear Rivers Trust estimates that 15% of rivers in England are ecologically healthy. The Deerness itself was given a poor rating in 2019.
Despite the challenges, the Wear Rivers Trust is hopeful about the future of the River Deerness.
"There's a long way to go yet to be able to say that any water course is healthy," said Rutland, according to the BBC. "But nature is resilient, and we just celebrate every sign that there's life and there's recovery."
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