That the otter was spotted in Alkmaar, says a lot about the expansion urge of the animal. De Otter is on the rise in the province. “I found traces in Graft-De Rijp,” says Baars. “And we know that there are also Otters at Edam-Volendam, there were a few driven to death. A few youngsters were born in Naardermeer.” There are also large otter populations in the provinces of Friesland and Flevoland. “So they come in from all sides.”
Baars therefore does not doubt that the Otter will spread over the rest of the province in the coming years. In fact: that may have happened. “We have not found any traces in the Noordkop and West Friesland, but that does not mean that no otters are there. It would not surprise me if they are already there. We just have not found any traces.”
Otter is good news for nature
The fact that the otters settle here means that the water in our area is doing well, according to the researcher of the Mammal Association. “An otter drives through vision, and that is only possible in clean, clear water. It also means that there is enough fish here.”
In addition, De Otter will compete with invasive exotics, such as the American crayfish. Those lobsters cause damage in nature by digs hollows and tunnels in banks or dikes, which can crumble them. “Otters eat those lobsters en masse. They also filter out the sick or weaker fish to be the first to hunt. The otter is a bit the king of the water.”