GROUPS of onlookers have been lining the banks and bridges of the River Kent to see the playful antics of a family of otters that has moved into Kendal town centre.

A wildlife expert says that people are enjoying regular sightings of the three otters as the mother is teaching her pups how to hunt.

There have been sightings of the otters all along the River Kent from the Riverside Hotel to K Village.

But David Harpley, conservation manager at Cumbria Wildlife Trust, said the spectacle would not last forever as the youngsters would be chased out by the mother once they are grown up and know how to fend for themselves.

“It is a very good sign that these otters are breeding here because it shows that the water in the River Kent is clear,” said Mr Harpley.

“Because nobody hunts them anymore, like they did back in the 1970s, they seem to be losing their fear of humans a bit and we’re beginning to see them in the daylight a lot more.”

Justin Grammer, of Kendal, was walking his dog with his wife and son when he first saw the otters swimming and playing in the river.

“We just sat and watched them for about 20 minutes,” said Mr Grammer. “It was absolutely beautiful to see them playing and speaks volumes about the Lake District for the fact they’re present in what is basically the middle of town. Hopefully the more people know about them the more we can do to look out for them.

“They really put a smile on my face.”

The Kendal otters are not the first example of the creatures breeding near humans. Exactly one year ago, The Westmorland Gazette reported a family of otters at Waterhead Pier near Ambleside, with the mammals being so at ease with their human counterparts that one photographer was able to get a close-up snap of them.