Otter and Cub Sighted Playing in Urban River

An adult otter and its offspring were observed swimming and engaging in play within an urban waterway. These animals were sighted on Monday evening in the Ouseburn, a tributary that joins the River Tyne in Newcastle. Their activity commenced on a pontoon before they departed by swimming. The pair was recorded on video by Wild Intrigue, a community interest company conducting a nature survey within the vicinity. Heather Devey, a co-director, stated that she noticed unusual water movement “strangely” prior to the two animals climbing onto the pontoon to engage in playful fighting and scent marking. She commented, “It’s most likely this is a new cub and the mother knows that the burn is a safe place to come and rest and feed during low tide.” She further added, “The tidal nature of the lower Ouseburn makes it one of the best places to have wildlife encounters like this in the city.” Devey also recounted, “Just a month ago when I was walking by Ouseburn Farm at high tide, I had a Cormorant pop up right next to me with a huge flounder.” Ms. Devey mentioned that otters had been observed in the identical section of the burn last winter, coinciding with the inaugural day of Wild Intrigue’s Wild Ouseburn project. This project was established with the aim of investigating and cataloging the species inhabiting the valley, thereby contributing to knowledge on how to manage the region’s natural habitats. The Eurasian otter represents the sole species of this mammal found residing in the UK. While present across the nation, areas with higher concentrations, as per the Woodland Trust, include the western coast of Wales and south-west England.