The European otter is declining. Not an amazing statement and nothing to write home about, except for me, who is doing just that. Many other species are declining: ya’ll heard of the polar bear, the white rhino and honey bees, but why is the European otter declining? Studies over the past 20 years have shown that there has been over a 25% decrease in the otters’ accurance
throughout Ireland. This is not good. This is about the same decline that the Spotted Owl is seeing in the NW US. Of course this is not a huge decline, but if this was the rate of your bank account decrease, you would half your money in 50 years, not good for retirement.
So yes, I’m writing home because the European otter is declining, and I’m part of documenting this decline. So I’ve been driving around in my 4X4 searching for bridges that have easy access. Stone walls that you can jump over and walk through a pasture to find nice rocks or cement landings,which the otters love. Yes, they aren’t sunbathing on these rocks, they are showing off their spraint, or droppings. It has a distinctive sweet smell, mixed in with a funky, fishy smell, in case you are wondering. And it is usually very black and oily with fish scales, or sometimes with crayfish throughout its spraint. The males are territorial, and the spraint shows their keep, and helps keep otters well disperse
d and healthy. (One of their favorite foods, crayfish are also declining, but studies are just starting to look at this. ) So I pull out the Trimble GPS/data logger and hit some keys documenting what I find: footprints and a detailed outline of the spraints texture, age and contents. I haven’t been finding very much evidence of the otters.
Most otters’ deaths that are documented are flattened on the road. Most roads don’t have a crosswalk sign for otters, as the recently killed male on the N4 found out. Otters also are drowned in fisherman’s nets, probably most commonly on the coast where driftnets are abandoned and wrap them up. As much as our driving and fishing are killing otters, two other species maybe having a larger impact that needs much more attention.
The American mink, a relative in the weasel family was released by a farm years ago and now have been scattered throughout the country. The mink like the same habitat, rivers and streams, and like the same food: fish. Many locals that I’ve talked to seem to repeat the same sentence, “Yeah, I used to see otters around here, loads growing up, but now all I see is mink.” Although the mink is almost ½ the size of Lutra lutra, its reputation of a fierce fisherman is legendary. Not only are they out fishing the otters, but they are also out harassing them. The otters aren’t used to much competition in their rivers, but now the sneaky mink is out battling the former king. Like invading ninja, the otter is being blindsided. The National Parks and Wildlife Service has been hiring mink trappers in some areas, and its effective, until funding runs out (like this year), and the bastards continue their population explosion.
Also the fish stocks are down, partly due to pollution, but I also suspect the zebra mussel is much the cause. It’s throughout the upper Shannon system, filtering its waters to the extreme, sucking out all zooplankton that the fish would eventually eat. Now the trophic system has shifted from life being in the water column, to life clinging inside hard shells to rocks that few can dislodge. How have these mussels changed the system? No one knows for sure, but quite a few B & B’s and one pub have closed around Lough Arrow, the lake outside my window because there isn’t any fish. Fisherman couldn’t tell you why they aren’t catching fish anymore here, they are just finding better places to fish in Norway.
Ireland is the last stronghold in Europe for the otter. I didn’t tell you this earlier because I wanted to tell you the scary part first. It’s been a dark and rainy day and that’s just the mood I’m in. The otter isn’t going to be extinct on this island anytime soon, but why save a species if it’s too late?; especially one of the cutest, loveable species on the planet. (Except for the two American otter species, and those baby wart hogs). I haven’t had the fortune to meet an otter face to face yet, (they are nocturnal and shy), but I have become quite acquainted with their stools. When you break apart a spraint containing the miracle of fish bones and bleached crayfish scales, and smell that sweet, acrid smell, you get that warm feeling in your heart. Not just because you’ve found what you are looking for, but because you share this earth with a wise, mysterious, and fun-loving creature that we often wish we could be. I mean, is there a more ideal life if you think of it: No need to change your clothes because your layers of fur are warm, more waterproof than Gor-tex. No need to deal with any distractions like cooking, indoor plumbing or cellphone bills because food is abundant, tasty, filled with Omega 3’s, and you communicate with your shit. So you get all this free time to make slides into the water, surf down rapids, and take lots of naps.
I’m sure the otter can give more lessons on how to live a good life if us humans can figure out how to live side by side. I mean, what kind of magnificent creatures are we if we can’t protect our fellow, loveable creatures. I always think its sad when I see a gift shop containing hundreds of stuffed animals that probably outnumber the wild numbers of that species (as anyone whose bought a stuffed manatee can attest to). We are in love with our vertebrate kin, yet there are few success story to tell. If children had more political sway, you can bet the otter would be top of the agenda, and probably hold a spiritual place in the assembly. But it seems us adults forget how these creatures captured our creativity, inspired us to be our best, and showed us that the world is filled with much more intellect and spirituality than humans alone can hold.
throughout Ireland. This is not good. This is about the same decline that the Spotted Owl is seeing in the NW US. Of course this is not a huge decline, but if this was the rate of your bank account decrease, you would half your money in 50 years, not good for retirement.
So yes, I’m writing home because the European otter is declining, and I’m part of documenting this decline. So I’ve been driving around in my 4X4 searching for bridges that have easy access. Stone walls that you can jump over and walk through a pasture to find nice rocks or cement landings,which the otters love. Yes, they aren’t sunbathing on these rocks, they are showing off their spraint, or droppings. It has a distinctive sweet smell, mixed in with a funky, fishy smell, in case you are wondering. And it is usually very black and oily with fish scales, or sometimes with crayfish throughout its spraint. The males are territorial, and the spraint shows their keep, and helps keep otters well disperse
d and healthy. (One of their favorite foods, crayfish are also declining, but studies are just starting to look at this. ) So I pull out the Trimble GPS/data logger and hit some keys documenting what I find: footprints and a detailed outline of the spraints texture, age and contents. I haven’t been finding very much evidence of the otters.
Most otters’ deaths that are documented are flattened on the road. Most roads don’t have a crosswalk sign for otters, as the recently killed male on the N4 found out. Otters also are drowned in fisherman’s nets, probably most commonly on the coast where driftnets are abandoned and wrap them up. As much as our driving and fishing are killing otters, two other species maybe having a larger impact that needs much more attention.
The American mink, a relative in the weasel family was released by a farm years ago and now have been scattered throughout the country. The mink like the same habitat, rivers and streams, and like the same food: fish. Many locals that I’ve talked to seem to repeat the same sentence, “Yeah, I used to see otters around here, loads growing up, but now all I see is mink.” Although the mink is almost ½ the size of Lutra lutra, its reputation of a fierce fisherman is legendary. Not only are they out fishing the otters, but they are also out harassing them. The otters aren’t used to much competition in their rivers, but now the sneaky mink is out battling the former king. Like invading ninja, the otter is being blindsided. The National Parks and Wildlife Service has been hiring mink trappers in some areas, and its effective, until funding runs out (like this year), and the bastards continue their population explosion.
Also the fish stocks are down, partly due to pollution, but I also suspect the zebra mussel is much the cause. It’s throughout the upper Shannon system, filtering its waters to the extreme, sucking out all zooplankton that the fish would eventually eat. Now the trophic system has shifted from life being in the water column, to life clinging inside hard shells to rocks that few can dislodge. How have these mussels changed the system? No one knows for sure, but quite a few B & B’s and one pub have closed around Lough Arrow, the lake outside my window because there isn’t any fish. Fisherman couldn’t tell you why they aren’t catching fish anymore here, they are just finding better places to fish in Norway.
Ireland is the last stronghold in Europe for the otter. I didn’t tell you this earlier because I wanted to tell you the scary part first. It’s been a dark and rainy day and that’s just the mood I’m in. The otter isn’t going to be extinct on this island anytime soon, but why save a species if it’s too late?; especially one of the cutest, loveable species on the planet. (Except for the two American otter species, and those baby wart hogs). I haven’t had the fortune to meet an otter face to face yet, (they are nocturnal and shy), but I have become quite acquainted with their stools. When you break apart a spraint containing the miracle of fish bones and bleached crayfish scales, and smell that sweet, acrid smell, you get that warm feeling in your heart. Not just because you’ve found what you are looking for, but because you share this earth with a wise, mysterious, and fun-loving creature that we often wish we could be. I mean, is there a more ideal life if you think of it: No need to change your clothes because your layers of fur are warm, more waterproof than Gor-tex. No need to deal with any distractions like cooking, indoor plumbing or cellphone bills because food is abundant, tasty, filled with Omega 3’s, and you communicate with your shit. So you get all this free time to make slides into the water, surf down rapids, and take lots of naps.
I’m sure the otter can give more lessons on how to live a good life if us humans can figure out how to live side by side. I mean, what kind of magnificent creatures are we if we can’t protect our fellow, loveable creatures. I always think its sad when I see a gift shop containing hundreds of stuffed animals that probably outnumber the wild numbers of that species (as anyone whose bought a stuffed manatee can attest to). We are in love with our vertebrate kin, yet there are few success story to tell. If children had more political sway, you can bet the otter would be top of the agenda, and probably hold a spiritual place in the assembly. But it seems us adults forget how these creatures captured our creativity, inspired us to be our best, and showed us that the world is filled with much more intellect and spirituality than humans alone can hold.
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