Following a trip to the Shetland Isles in 2010 during which I experienced the enormous thrill and privilege of watching wild Otters in their natural habitat for the first time, I began to wonder whether I could discover evidence of Otters nearer to home, perhaps in my own backyard in deepest Hampshire.
I knew that Otters were present - even in hampshire - and these enigmatic creatures had even been filmed no more than a mile or so from my own front door. Of course, most people who know anything about Otters will tell you that it is nearly impossible to see them in the wild especially those that dwell on the rivers and inland waterways of the UK. Unlike the coastal Otters of The Shetlands, tied to the the cyclical ebb and flow of the tides, and therefore active during daylight hours, river otters are mostly nocturnal, like slippery ghosts silently stalking the the inky black rivers of night.
River Otters are rarely seen by day but we are left tantilizing signs of their presence. If one really looks hard you can discover the telltale signs of their nightly travails, their ceaseless foraging and inquistive exploration up and down their watery world.
So, I have set myself a task over the next 12 months which is basically to try to get to know and understand the Otters that live near me. To really look closely at what is going on in my own backyard Rather than travel hundreds of miles to see Otters in remote Shetland wouldn't it be fabulous to observe them right here in Hampshire. My aim is to try to learn to read the signs and symbols left behind by these ghostly apperitions and to get as close as I can to understanding their movements, their habits and routines and a day to day basis and - hopefully - to see them face to face.
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