Endangered eel spotted swimming in Dorset puddle by postman

The eel was photographed wriggling in the floodwater

An endangered eel that was spotted swimming in a puddle in a road is thought to have been stranded by a flood, according to a nature group.

The creature, believed to be a European eel, was caught on camera by a postman on Ringwood Road in Verwood, Dorset, on 23 February.

Richard Holgate snapped the photos while on his post round.

Dorset Wildlife Trust said the animal was usually found in freshwater, like rivers and ditches.

The European eel is considered to be critically endangered

Upon noticing the creature slithering in the puddle, a fisherman who happened to be nearby helped Mr Holgate catch it in a Royal Mail tray.

He said it was then released into a lake near the road.

Dorset Wildlife Trust identified the species as a European eel, which has been classed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.

"[They are] capable of wriggling through wet grass to reach other areas of water, so presumably it has been stranded by a flood situation from the lakes and recent weather at Moors Valley," the charity said.

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