Otter

A natural and cultural history of a much-loved animal, the otter. Although rarely seen in the wild, the otter is admired for its playful character and graceful aquatic agility, which were established in the popular imagination through books and films such as Tarka the Otter and Ring of Bright Water. This, however, is just a small part of their story – throughout history the otter has also been widely hunted for its fur and to prevent it from killing fish. Today the thirteen species of otter face a range of growing challenges, and their survival is by no means certain.