Eurasian otters have recovered significantly in Britain following pesticide bans and river restoration, but face ongoing welfare threats from road traffic and pollution.
Otters caught in fish farm traps suffer significant stress and injury. Road strikes cause traumatic death. Otters require clean, fish-rich rivers with bankside cover; pollution and over-abstraction reduce food availability causing nutritional stress. Nursing females with cubs are particularly vulnerable to disturbance. Population recovery demonstrates the effectiveness of targeted conservation but individual welfare harms remain significant in fragmented river systems near roads.