Resurrection in the Westerwald: The otter returns after 37 years!

Resurrection in the Westerwald: The otter returns after 37 years!

A milestone in species protection was recently recorded in Rhineland-Palatinate: researchers, a previously eradicated predator, have proven the otter again in the Westerwald after 37 years. This return of the otter is evidence of the successful nature conservation measures in the region. Although the last proof of this animal in the region was many years ago, current observations testify to a slow but steady recovery of the inventory.

The otter, who was almost completely exterminated because of its valuable fur and the competition for fishing industry, can now be found again in its original living environment thanks to years and intensive protective efforts. As part of the “Otterland Rhineland-Palatinate” project, proof of the first in 37 years was achieved by species detection dogs from the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, which identified the feces of a otter.

The diet of the

otters are predators that mainly feed on fish, crabs and frogs. A single otter consumes about 15 percent of his body weight a day. So far, the otter was considered extinct in many regions of Germany, but the return in Rhineland-Palatinate represents a glimmer of hope for the further preservation of the species. Most recently, a otter was sighted in 2016.

The return of the otter is not received positively everywhere. In Baden-Württemberg, consideration that the population could multiply too quickly and would thus threaten fishing. In exceptional cases, the FDP parliamentary group even demands the shooting of the animals, although the Ministry of Environment of Baden-Württemberg is currently not planning such measures.

nationwide nature conservation measures

The success of the return of the otter in Rhineland-Palatinate is part of a more comprehensive project called "Germany again Otterland". This project aims to improve the habitats of the otter in Germany and to advance the networking of water landscapes. Measures such as the installation of passing aids on road bridges and the upgrading of water banks along hiking corridors are to be increased in nine model regions, including Rhineland-Palatinate.

The project, which begins on December 1, 2023 and runs until November 30, 2028, is supported with a financial volume of 7,060,000 euros. The aim is to develop practical approaches for effective conflict reduction and to analyze socio-economic influencing factors and conflict risks. The return of the otter could therefore be of great importance not only for the species itself, but also for the biodiversity of the region.

Overall, the occurrence of the otter are a sign of the health of water landscapes and underline the need to further promote nature conservation in Germany. The recovery of the otter in Rhineland-Palatinate is therefore both a restaurant and nationally significant success.

Fr. href = "https://www.merkur.de/deutschland/rheinland-pfalz/nacheißenwesterwald-fischotter-Arottetetes-raubier-in-Rheinland-Pfalz-Wieder-93515573.html"> Merkur.de sums up the situation with regard to the otter in Germany. The connection of the project "Germany again" href = "https://www.bfn.de/projekteteckbriefe/deutschland-wieder-otterland"> Bfn.de explained.