Wildlife

Wild Otter Spraint Survey and Welfare Monitoring

Otter spraint surveys are a non-invasive method for monitoring population health and distribution with welfare research applications.

Key Facts

Otter spraint (faeces) is used for territory marking and contains valuable biological information
DNA from spraint enables individual identification and population genetics studies
Spraint sites are characteristic and surveys can detect population changes over time
Dietary analysis from spraint reveals prey availability and potential nutritional welfare

Welfare Considerations

Non-invasive monitoring methods like spraint surveys avoid the capture stress associated with traditional surveys. They enable welfare-relevant population data collection without direct animal disturbance, supporting more ethical research practices.

What You Can Do

Participate in otter survey citizen science projects
Support river restoration programmes that benefit otter habitat quality
Report otter sightings to local wildlife recording groups