The otter was captured on a wildlife camera last month. It takes a photo as soon as there is movement in front of the camera. Because the cameras are viewed once every few weeks, the discovery was only made now.
No otters for almost 60 years
Five floating natural islands for animals and plants were created between the Zeeburgereiland and the Diemerzeedijk in 2023. AT5 went at the time we visited the islands with Timmermans. Even then, there was already hope that otters would report to the islands.
“Within three years is very fast,” says Timmermans. “If it had happened within ten years we would have been happy too.”
The otter could not be found in the city at all for a long time. The last otter sighting was in 1963, until the aquatic mammal reappeared in the Diemer Vijfhoek nature reserve in 2022. Yet otters are not often seen in the city.
These are the islands along the A10 East where the otter has been spotted:
