Camera network captures footage of county's otters

Otters living along rivers in Suffolk have been filmed by cameras set up by the Suffolk Otter Group

Suffolk Otter Group Two otters are captured on a camera roaming around a river bank in the middle of the night. It is a black and white image. — Otters living along rivers in Suffolk have been filmed by cameras set up by the Suffolk Otter Group

A network of cameras has captured footage of the otters living along a county's rivers.

The Suffolk Otter Group has set up 15 cameras on the River Deben and the River Alde.

Several otter families have been identified, and the group is now hoping to install more cameras to identify individual otters.

Penny Hemphill, an ecologist and group member, said the otters were a sign the rivers were in good health.

Penny Hemphill said the volunteers looking after the cameras were "really enthusiastic"

Jamie Niblock/BBC Penny Hemphill, who has grey and black short hair, smiles at the camera while she stands in a field. She is wearing black glasses, a brown coat and a multi-coloured scarf. — Penny Hemphill said the volunteers looking after the cameras were "really enthusiastic"

Ms Hemphill said the project happened because of the number of otter enthusiasts living close to both rivers.

"With the really enthusiastic volunteers looking after the cameras, getting the memory cards out, taking it to their laptops, seeing what footage they got - and that's where the exciting bit starts," she said.

"Through the cameras we can tell where [the otters have] been; for example, here at Bruisyard, and when they might be upstream, perhaps, at Dennington.

"We can begin to establish the patterns of their behaviour."

Several otter families have been filmed along both the Suffolk rivers

Suffolk Otter Group Two otters are pictured in the day roaming on a grassy river bank. A river covered in green algae can been seen behind them. — Several otter families have been filmed along both the Suffolk rivers

The group works closely with water quality groups to ensure the rivers are a healthy habitat for the otters.

"If there were no fish in our rivers there would be no otters," Ms Hemphill added.

"It's a combination of things which make it possible for an otter to do so well."

The footage includes otter families playing and feeding. Some otters have even been heard hissing at the cameras.

"They're just wonderful animals and we must look after what we have," she said.

"In other areas of Britain, other otter groups have noticed a slight decline in otters and that's why I wanted to get these projects up and running."

Otter cubs have been spotted by the cameras and volunteers hope to be able to identify individual otters in the future

Suffolk Otter Group A family of three otters are captured on a camera, playing around a fallen tree trunk. Fallen leaves are dotted all along the ground around them. — Otter cubs have been spotted by the cameras and volunteers hope to be able to identify individual otters in the future

Judy Powell monitors the camera along the River Alde

Jamie Niblock/BBC A woman with a blonde pixie hair cut smiles at the camera. Behind her is a hedge. She wears hooped earings with a blue ball on the end of each. She is also wearing a white and purple scarf around her neck. — Judy Powell monitors the camera along the River Alde

Judy Powell is one of a group of 12 people who survey the River Alde and check its cameras.

"We knew there were otters here, at least we hoped, but actually to be able to see them on film is brilliant," she said.

"We found signs, we surveyed it just looking for tracks and spraints [otter dung], but to get this footage is absolutely fantastic.

"We have a family of three cubs here and a family down river of three cubs.

"We think they are the same, but it would be lovely to see them travelling if we had more cameras and [see} how they are going about their lives," she added.

"It just makes us realise that this is a good healthy river."

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