Otters are charismatic freshwater mammals whose return to British rivers after near-extinction is one of conservation most celebrated stories. Maintaining their welfare requires clean water, fish, and undisturbed holts.
Otter welfare today is primarily threatened by road infrastructure, fish stock decline, and illegal persecution. Road kill causes direct trauma and disrupts social bonds between family groups. Declining eel and coarse fish populations reduce food security, forcing otters to travel greater distances and cross more roads. Holt disturbance by riparian clearance during breeding season causes nest abandonment and cub mortality. Mink competition in some river systems also displaces otters from optimal habitat.