Charity's warning over otter road deaths

The UK Wild Otter Trust said it had rescued otter cubs whose parents had been killed on the roads

A charity in Devon has launched a campaign to raise awareness about otters being killed on roads.

Staff at the UK Wild Otter Trust, in North Devon, work to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned otters.

After rescuing "several" orphaned otter cubs in 2024, and with a female otter found dead after being killed by a car, the team has launched a new campaign.

The campaigners have asked drivers to "be alert", "stick to the speed limit" and "ensure their speed matches the road".

Founder Dave Webb said the campaign was about raising driver awareness

Dave Webb, founder and CEO of the charity, told the BBC the drive had been launched to coincide with World Otter Day.

He said they had recently rescued cubs whose mothers had been "killed on the roads".

"It's the biggest killer of them, [it] leaves cubs behind".

He said it had been proven if you hit an otter at 30mph, it is still likely to die - so a driver's awareness of their environment was key.

'Completely oblivious'

"It's making people more aware that there are otters out there," he added.

"Many many people are just driving around completely oblivious to what nature is around them and the potential species that live in that habitat."

He said it was important to "ease the burden" for otters, which have "large territories" of up to 30km (18.6m) which "often forces them to cross roads".

He added: "Just be aware when crossing rivers or driving along the side of rivers, where there are ponds and lots of habitat.

"Potentially an otter may well be trying to cross that road.

"So it's just a case of being more aware of your surroundings," he added.

He said if mothers were killed and their cubs found, they might have a "second change" - but only a small fraction would be this lucky.

"I'm sure there's many more out there that just starve because of their age, they're still dependent on the mother," he added.

Mr Webb said the campaign was asking drivers to be alert for otters, stick to the speed limit, and ensure their speed matches the road and the surrounding area.