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01
Nov
Otter spotted in the night garden of Knaresborough home
A woman who lives in a village near Knaresborough has spoken of her joy and surprise at finding an otter in her garden.
The elusive creature was caught on camera scuttling across her garden in Ferrensby.
Emma Eustace, 29, first saw the otter on October 24 at 2.30am when she woke up and checked her outside cameras. It then returned on October 28 at 8.30pm.
Ms Eustace shared the footage with the Stray Ferret and said she was “amazed” by her visitor, especially as she doesn't live near a river.
She said:
It was such a shock and so lovely to see, I was so excited. It is really nice that we caught it on camera.
We have cameras because I like to see what my cats are up to and to see it trail off like that into the fields behind our house and return was amazing.
She shared the videos to a village group chat and it appears no one else has seen it.
European Otter
According to the Woodland Trust, otters generally live near watercourses and are carnivores that feed mostly on fish. They also eat amphibians, crustaceans and small waterbirds.
Sometimes they look for food on land and seek eggs, insects and small mammals.
Ferrensby has a village pond and Ms Eustace has a “tiny environmental pond” to the rear of her garden. She added that the nearest watercourse is in Staveley.
She moved to the village five years ago from the south for “a taste of the countryside” and was delighted when the otter explored her garden.
She said:
It is a mystery why it is here. Maybe it can smell what my cats have had.
It is just very cute, and I couldn’t believe it. I always look for otters in rivers, but this is the first time I have seen an otter up close and in the wild, and it was in my garden.
I hope it comes back.
Watch the footage below.
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