The Somerset Otter Group was originally founded to see if there were any otters left after the major decline to near extinction.
Happily the goal posts have moved a lot since the mid 1980’s.
The otter group has a wide range of aims, objectives and activities:
Regular systematic surveys
• Annual co-ordinated two day spring survey of the whole of Somerset
• Monthly surveys by members
• Continue the long series of records for Somerset
• Daily recording at selected places
• Population mapping and estimation
Otter group maintenance
• Training a network of surveyors
• Allocating and maintaining survey coverage
• Informative Newslotter to members
• Updates to the Somerset Otter Group website
• Maintenance of Facebook Group
• Meetings and lectures
Support of conservation initiatives and research projects
• Cardiff University’s post-mortem programme
• The DNA monitoring study
• The National otter surveys
• Special area of conservation monitoring
• Research into Pseudamphistomum truncatum, the newly discovered parasite
• Highways Authority, trunk roads and wildlife
• Chemical analysis of the scent from spraint
• Population studies on the Brue Valley and River Tone
• Prey identification through spraint
Advice on problems associated with the presence of otters
• Riverside engineering projects
• Black spots for otter deaths on roads
• Protection of fish ponds and fisheries
• Potentially damaging planning applications
Promotion of awareness and appreciation of otters
• Displays at public events
• Publications