Local authorities are being pressed by the Wildlife Trusts to incorporate an unusual new safety feature into new road schemes near rivers; tunnels and ledges to help young male otters cross safely in their ever-widening search to find a mate.

While conservationists celebrate the welcome return of the otter, new national statistics published today by The Wildlife Trusts reveal the tragic counter-balance to the good news – a dramatic increase in the number of otters being killed on the roads and railways. The trend has been noted in Wiltshire, where a project to monitor the otter population – one of the best indicators of a river’s health – is being run by the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.

“This year one otter has been killed in Swindon, with two more known to have been run down in the Upper Thames area,” said Mark Satinet, theTrust’s Otters and Rivers Project Officer, adding that a male otter was killed by a passing train in Bradford-on-Avon last year. The Trust monitors and surveys the otter population in Wiltshire, working with landowners, fishing societies and other interested parties to improve the river environment.

“Otters are at the top of the food chain; they cannot survive in a river unless all of the other river wildlife populations are thriving. If the otters are back, we know that the river environment must be improving,” said Mark, adding that the Trust is looking for more volunteers to survey and monitor Wiltshire’s otter population.

Nationally, 34 otters have been killed on the roads of England and Wales in the last three months, double the figure for the previous three months. More and more are being reported each week, according to the Wildlife Trusts. And male otters come off worst, probably because the rising otter population means that young adult males have to travel to new territories to seek a mate.

The Wildlife Trusts are urging the Highways Agency and local authorities to take steps to stem the tide of otter deaths, by making sure that road schemes in affected areas include tunnels and ledges to help otters cross safely.

The Wildlife Trusts and the Environment Agency are lead partners for the UK Biodiversity Action Plan for the otter – the government’s strategy for otter conservation.

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust encourages motorists to:

· Slow down near bridges, particularly if rivers are in flood or water levels are high, as otters often cross roads more frequently in these conditions;

· If you find a dead otter, take note of the location and report it immediately to the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust or the Environment Agency, who will be able to identify the cause of the incident and develop solutions to stop it happening again.

For further information, contact Sharon Charity, Press Officer.