A WILDLIFE trust CEO has said that much can be learned from the successful recovery of otters in the county, to save other species from extinction.

Cumbria Wildlife Trust CEO Stephen Trotter said that concerted efforts to improve water conditions and habitats has now resulted in the species reaching an optimum population.

Kendal residents have recently been enjoying increased sightings of the aquatic mammals in the River Kent.

“These are charismatic and delightful animals which belong in the Cumbrian landscape and have an important ecological role in our rivers and becks,” said Mr Trotter.

“Since a low point in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, when otters narrowly avoided going extinct in England, their numbers have largely recovered, and they are now present in rivers and lakes across Cumbria and Northern England.

“This is because of a great deal of conservation effort by organisations like the Wildlife Trusts and other partners like the Environment Agency and their predecessors. A great deal of habitat work has been carried out to help the otter, and most importantly to clean up rivers and freshwaters.

“The toxic pesticides which caused their population crash have now been banned and so our rivers are now much cleaner than they once were.”

Mr Trotter said that despite recent otter sightings in the area appearing to have increased, there is no evidence to suggest otter numbers have.

Although there is currently no organised monitoring of otter numbers in Cumbria, the trust uses indictors such as scent marking signs to determine the prevalence of otters in certain areas.

“We strongly suspect that the population has more-or-less reached its capacity, in terms of the what the landscape can support,” said Mr Trotter.

“The recent sightings in Kendal do not indicate any substantial growth in numbers.

“Rather this is perhaps an individual female that frequents the river here with a cub, perhaps she has a holt or shelter nearby, and has become less nervous about encounters with people in the centre of Kendal.”

Mr Trotter said there were lessons to be learned from the otters’ success.

“The key lesson of the successful recovery of otters is that where people take effective action, we can save species and bring wildlife back to Cumbria.

“We are in the midst of a global wildlife crisis which is happening here in Cumbria too.

“A large number of plants and animals that were once common in Cumbria are now reduced to small and vulnerable populations.

“We need to work together to take action to help their numbers recover.”

“For example, swifts, water voles, Sphagnum mosses and small white orchids to name but a few and that’s even before we start talking about the higher profile species like white-tailed eagles and beavers.”