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Baby Otters Practice Swimming
It's the weekend – let's party like otters!
These two baby river otters were rescued when it was clear that their mother was unable to care for them. Their first swimming expedition in the animal sanctuary is priceless.
Otters are recovering from the brink of extinction in the UK, where pesticide pollution and hunting nearly wiped them out. Their recovery is good news for conservationists, because it's a good indicator of the rivers' health. The UK banned otter hunting only in 1978; otters had previously been culled because they compete with humans for the fish stocks. The attitude that man should have first rights to the fish has, unfortunately, not disappeared.
The resurgence of the otter has not delighted everyone – some anglers have reported otters decimating stocks in fishing lakes. The angler John Wilson recently called the otter "a wanton killer" and some fishing groups have called for a cull. Many angling clubs have been forced to erect expensive fences around lakes to keep otters out.
Otters are slow to reproduce and most mothers only bear two sets of cubs in their lifetime. "It's not physically possible for them to spread very quickly," said a spokesman for the International Otter Survival Fund. "The biggest problem is human encroachment and the destruction of habitat, and increasingly many otters are hit on the roads."
"A wanton killer"? Nonsense! Otters kill only what they need to eat. If you believe that other species have a right to share the planet and its resources with us, then how about celebrating the weekend with some great, meat-free meals with friends? Look here for some ideas – http://KindMeal.my/
Sources: http://bit.ly/1sw69CY, http://bit.ly/ZizF4i
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