Following their starring role on BBC Winterwatch, explore more fascinating Otter behaviour from Gosforth Nature Reserve
Did you catch BBC Winterwatch last week? If not, head over to BBC iPlayer now (click here) to watch brilliant NHSN naturalist, Christopher Wren, share his passion for Gosforth Nature Reserve’s beloved Otters.
Since its launch in 2012 as a spin-off of the popular BBC Springwatch series, Winterwatch celebrates the remarkable wildlife that thrives during the colder months. How exciting it was to welcome the talented film and sound crew to your reserve! Your support ensures that many species, including Otters, continue to have a home in the heart of the city – exactly 100 years after Gosforth Nature Reserve was first established.
Feeling inspired to spot Otters for yourself? Why not visit the reserve? With frequent Otter sightings in recent weeks, you might just be in luck. For new visitors, Visitor Passes are available here.
Before you hear from Chris and enjoy yet more Otter antics from Gosforth Nature Reserve, we couldn’t resist sharing a few photos to capture this exciting occasion. It’s not everyday that your reserve makes national telly…
We are so grateful to Chris for his time, expertise and dedication to sharing the joys of Gosforth Nature Reserve with others. It is always such a joy to receive the latest footage from the reserve and this week, Chris has another treat in store. Over to Chris…
The otter cubs in Gosforth Nature Reserve are now over six months old and are growing fast. Many visitors have been lucky enough to see them and they show up regularly on the trail cameras. The recent cold weather has been a challenge but the otters can cope with the cold and they confidently swim under the ice. Look carefully at the start of the first video and you can see the third otter under the ice as it looks for the air hole.
Although otters are semi-aquatic animals they spend most of their time on land, patrolling, playing and sleeping. One camera recently caught the dog otter having forty winks – it went on for several minutes so I have shortened it in the video.
Otters also spend a lot of time grooming their thick waterproof fur to keep it in tiptop condition. If you have short legs it is impossible to scratch your own back so the solution is to roll on the ground, as the dog otter is doing here.
Otter cubs start to follow their mother around from about three months of age and stay with her for up to a year. They gradually become more confident and independent, although one of ours was a bit too independent recently and got separated from its mother, One of the cameras showed the mother and the second cub waiting anxiously – on the video you can hear the cub squeaking and the mother whistling. Two hours later the missing cub appeared briefly, still lost and calling for its mother. The cameras didn’t see the reunion but the family was back together by the next day.
The bond between mother and cubs is strong and I expect it will be hard for both when they go their separate ways in a few months time. The most recent video shows the obvious affection they have for each other and although the cubs are more independent they still don’t want to be left behind.