LOCAL wildlife watchers have spotted a number of otters swimming around the Water of Leith in Edinburgh over the weekend.
Three of the protected species were seen on Saturday swimming in the capital’s major river, recorded by an avid nature lover.
The wild otters are extremely vulnerable in the Water of Leith habitat with a total of seven having died since 2023.
The critters don’t do well in city environments with the population in the Water of Leith, which runs right through Auld Reekie, being under constant threat from traffic and human interference.
With populations in Scotland of around 8,000 they are not an endangered species, but they are protected.
Their protected status makes it illegal to kill or harm the otters in any way and ensures the population is given the best chance it can to survive.
Currently the otter population in Scotland is thriving but given the dangers a city environment presents, the Water of Leith population has seen significant challenges.
With limited research done on otters in urban environments, it’s impossible to know how many otters inhabit the water of Leith.
Sightings of the creatures reached an all-time high in 2019 with a total of 85 reported.
The population has dwindled on several occasions with concern for the urban population ever present.
According to the Water of Leith Conservation Trust, there are two families of otters living in the river.
The sighting of three on Saturday is a good sign for the population, with hopes high that it will thrive again following the tragic death of the seven otters in 2023.
Two of the seven were killed in road traffic collisions while a further two died for unknown reasons, although it’s likely that cubs were separated from their mothers and were unable to fend for themselves, sadly dying as a result.
