South Yorkshire otters under the spotlight

South Yorkshire otters under the spotlight

Wildlife experts are set to tell you all you need to know about otters during a night in Sheffield dedicated to the elusive and charismatic creatures.

Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust (SRWT) is hosting an evening of presentations on Thursday 19th May based around this semiaquatic member of the weasel family, which has made a remarkable comeback to the UK.

Dave Webb, founder and Chair of the Wild Otter Trust, will be kicking off proceedings with a presentation that includes a history of the otter, its biology, behaviour and the modern-day dangers it faces.

Mr Webb comes to Sheffield all the way from North Devon, where he uses his extensive tracking and wildlife photography skills to study otters in the region — an area made famous by its own well-known otter, Tarka.

This will be followed by a shorter presentation from the SRWT’s own Dr Nicky Rivers, who will give an overview of otter activity in Sheffield and Rotherham, as well as outline the Trust’s current Otterly Amazing! project.

Otterly Amazing! aims to support the spread of otters along the Rivers Don and Rother. Money raised by the Trust is going towards further habitat improvements to complement work that has already been done. The Trust will also be engaging volunteers to undertake survey work to build up a fuller picture of the local otter population.

The evening at Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust’s headquarters on Stafford Road, Sheffield, will be rounded off with a questions and answers session, where members of the public can quiz our experts about all things otter.

The night is free for members, with a suggested donation of £3 for non-members, or people can join as members on the night.

The event will be held at Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust, 37 Stafford Rd, Sheffield, S2 2SF. Light refreshments will be served from 6.30pm with the presentations starting at 7.00pm.

Booking essential, to book please call 0114 263 4335 or email b.keywood@wildsheffield.com