Dead otter found in the Dour

• Karlos

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 1 Oct 2012
  • Posts: 2,560
  16 December 2013     16:54255599
  #1       report
  1st I've heard of an otter in the Dour, article doesn't say whereabouts.
  
  http://www.kentonline.co.uk/east_kent_mercury/news/dead-otter-found-by-the-riverdour-10251/
  
  A dead otter was found yesterday by a man and his daughters.
  
  Photographer, Peter Nix, who lives in Dover, was returning to his car from a boot fair at 2.30pm yesterday (Sunday) when he saw the animal.
  
  The otter was laying on the verge by the River Dour.
  
  continues...
• Karlos

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 1 Oct 2012
  • Posts: 2,560
  16 December 2013     17:00255600
  #2       report
  In the Dover Express article, it says opposite the Barton Path mural.
• howard mcsweeney1

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 12 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 62,352
  16 December 2013     19:01255629
  #3       report
  i have serious doubts on this story having read that life long dovorians have never seen or even heard rumours of an otter in the dour.
  
  i suspect that the unfortunate creature may have been found dead somewhere else and placed on the verge as a prank.
• Jan Higgins

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 5 Jul 2010
  • Posts: 13,894
  16 December 2013     19:32255633
  #4       report
  Someone has suggested it may have been caught in the recent tidal surge and another thought that a pair had been released in the Bushy Ruff area.
  
  Otters could help to explain why there did not seem to be so many ducklings around this year.
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------
  I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
  -------------------------------------------------------------------
• Guest 977

  • Registered: 27 Jun 2013
  • Posts: 1,031
  16 December 2013     20:18255636
  #5       report
  The last Environment Agency otter survey in 2010 recorded 35 instances of otter sightings in the Stour catchment from Pegwell Bay to Godmersham on the river and around the north coast, none in the Dour.
  
  I downloaded the report form here but the format seems to have changed when I just checked it was still there.
  
  Also if anyone is interested, there is an Environment Agency consultation on Choices and Challenges facing the water environment in our region, open to individuals and organisations until Dec 22nd- view here.
• Guest 977

  • Registered: 27 Jun 2013
  • Posts: 1,031
  17 December 2013     16:28255718
  #6       report
  I have been informed the animal has been identified as a polecat ferret, not an otter.