I had not planned on any more “wet fur” posts, but this was irresistible.
Ten days after the fish-eating otter in my recent post, a group of three appeared.
One sunbathed on a small rock.
Two swam around in formation for a bit, catching the occasional fish, and moving northwards up the pond as I followed quietly in the bushes.
Some diving and splashing, and then they suddenly turned towards the shore, and me. The one in front had a fish, and the other was shadowing him in the hope of a mishap:
The owner of the fish needed to get out of the water to eat it, and to protect it from its marauding sibling, so it headed for the closest option, a fallen branch sticking partly out of the water.
Still a bit low down:
With some difficulty, it hauled itself high enough for safe eating:
Teetering slightly precariously on its inadequate perch:
it set to work:
As the branch slowly sank, the second otter lurked close by, just in case:
Their teeth are impressive:
There were no slips, and the second otter, crestfallen, swam away hungry.
PS Here is a picture of the otter’s teeth, showing its four huge canines, from Tumlinson et al (2022)
Reminds me of when I was a little kid my older brother would quickly eat his dinner then turn to me and my plate and start in on eating my food! Family dramas like these seem to carry over from the animal world . . .
Otters are such beautiful creatures.
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Such a great experience, every time you see these Otters. (Was in Junk mail)
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