In furry news like no otter, for the first time in half a century, an otter has made Amsterdam its home — moving to the IJburg islands area.
After leaving bits of traces and clues behind all summer, the cute creature finally made a nighttime video appearance, Het Parool reports.
This is a glorious event as, due to water pollution and car traffic, the last time the animal was spotted in the capital was in 1963. It then completely disappeared from the Netherlands by 1988, urban ecologist Geert Timmermans tells Het Parool.
Tracking
Today, otter traces can be found all around the North Holland area, especially in the town of Muiderberg, after they started moving back to the Dutch lowlands in 2002.
As for Amsterdam’s otter, the sighting was only made possible thanks to the spraints (that’s otter poep) and the eaten fish left behind, explains Stijn Nollen who traced and captured the footage of Amsterdam’s newest celebrity.
The exact location of where the otter was spotted in the city was kept a secret as not to bother the sweet creature with nighttime visitors.
Ushering a return
The return of otters to the Netherlands can be partially attributed to the improved water quality and under-road passages which help the animals to cross safely.
According to the Dutch Mammal Association, which previously declared 2021 as the year of the otter, 🦦 traffic remains the biggest threat to these creatures.
Do you think we’ll be seeing more otters in the Netherlands or Amsterdam’s area? Tell us in the comments below!
Featured Image: neelsky/Depositphotos