Ouseburn otter proves camera-shy

Posters have been put up along the River Ouseburn

Wildlife officers have appealed to the public to help them record footage of otters on the River Ouseburn.

Staff at the WildPlaces project, run by the North East Wildlife Trusts, have been trying to film the elusive "Ouseburn otter" for several months.

Track marks show the mammal to be present, but so far it has evaded capture on their riverside CCTV and motion sensitive "stealth" cameras.

Now the team have put up Western-style "Wanted" posters asking people to help.

They would like anyone who spots an otter on the river to photograph or video it and send their recording to them.

"Our main aim is just to get some clear views of the otters showing their natural behaviour," said Kara Jackson, WildPlaces project officer for the Northumberland region.

"They are quite shy creatures and notoriously difficult to see anywhere. They tend to come out at dawn and dusk, when it is quiet."

Thwarted by nature

The WildPlaces team first tried using a CCTV system to record the otter, but spiders and moths were attracted to the cameras and obstructed the view.

Kara said otters were notoriously shy creatures

They then installed a motion sensitive camera under one of the bridges over the river, but it was repeatedly knocked by badgers and foxes.

Kara said they had managed to capture a few images but that they had all been too distant, as every time the otter got close to the cameras it would go underwater.

She said it almost seemed as if the camera-shy mammal was doing it on purpose.

The WildPlaces team will soon be trialling an underwater camera, which they hope will overcome this problem.

If you manage to capture the Ouseburn otter on camera send your photos or video to Kara Jackson .

Find out more about the WildPlaces project using the links on the right of this page.