An otter has been spotted raiding ponds in Reedham. Pic by Jonathan Lewis, Norfolk Wildlife Photography.
Mischievous otter sparks warning in Reedham
Thursday, November 1, 2012
9:10 AM
Residents in Reedham have been warned to protect their gardens from a mischievous otter after the crafty creature was spotted fishing for food in people’s ponds.
The parish council has sent out the alarm after residents with a back garden pond reported their fish had been hooked by the roving river dweller and gobbled up for dinner.
It is believed the otter has been getting into the village when the River Yare reaches high tide and using the elevated water to get over the wall.
Parish councillor Paul Bilverstone had been made aware of the cheeky chancer after a resident told him his prized fish had been attacked, with some being killed and others left with bite marks.
Mr Bilverstone said: “It went in a pond half way down New Road and slaughtered a lot of their fish and then it went round a neighbours and he’d had his fish in the pond for about 30 years.
“They were beautiful fish and it absolutely devastated the owners.”
The otter has been spotted in the Middle Hill and New Road area late at night, running towards the river, and is believed to have been a “fairly regular” visitor.
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3 comments
Sorry but I would rather see Otters than garden ponds. Guess the pond owners will have to put nets or grids over their ponds. Otters and their habitat are fully protected and rightly so. I should imagine they were here a long time before we were. As long as people don't feed them in their gardens they will stay wild and be as shy and rarely seen as they always have been. Herons have been targeted for the damage to ponds aswell. Shame but its natural for them to hunt food wherever it may be.
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GSXR
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Unfortunatly angling clubs who own lease ponds and lakes have had this problem with Otters for a number of years now thanks to Earsham Otter trust releasing dozens of them into the Norfolk countryside and legally there is nothing you can do to protect your stock. Ponds are easy pickings for Otters.
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muttley
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Doesn't seem likely that the recent high water is allowing the otter to leave the river. The first pond attack occurred sometime ago, before the high tides. Added to which, I have seen otters climbing over far more substantial structures that the Reedham flood wall. As a pond owner, and also knowing one of the owners of the plundered ponds, I just hope that otters don't start becoming as 'urbanised' as foxes
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Labratone
Thursday, November 1, 2012