Scotland holds one of Europe's strongest otter populations. Understanding the conservation measures that support this success informs protection of otters across their range.
The welfare of otters in Scotland is generally better than elsewhere in the UK due to lower population density, greater habitat availability, and reduced road pressure. However, individual otters are still killed by road traffic, particularly near estuaries where roads parallel coastal habitat. Each otter killed represents not just a population loss but an individual animal's suffering. Conservation measures that have maintained Scotland's otter population have prevented enormous amounts of welfare harm compared to the population's nadir in the 1970s.