Otters in the Tawe

February 2013

  At first it was a disturbance in the river, violent splashes, with ripples searching outwards. Then it emerged, a brown snake-like creature, rising and descending for the merest taste of air, circles on the surface; playing. The photographs mirror my surprise encounter and in no way reflects the true beauty of the otter.

Otter (Lutra lutra)

  It was last only last year that I spotted an American mink behind the Sanctuary. I struggle to buy into the theory that these animals do not belong, as their arrival was not through personal choice or preference. They are victims of circumstance beyond their control and now survive the best they can. I have heard that mink struggle to survive where there are otters, as the competition for food proves too fierce. It will be interesting to see how this develops in the future.

American mink (Mustela vison)