The shocking discovery of a young female otter, Otter No 4,888, found dead by the side of the road near the River Cefni on Anglesey in November 2024, has shed an unflinching light on the life and death of one of Britain's most treasured creatures. A postmortem conducted at Cardiff University's Otter Project revealed a devastating array of injuries.
The examination, which included a thorough search of the otter's internal organs, found catastrophic internal injuries, with a pool of blood discovered under the vault of her ribs. A mass on her pancreas may have been cancerous and was retained for further testing. Importantly, however, the postmortem also revealed no signs of wounds to her genital-anal area, where otters often engage in fierce battles.
Despite the grim circumstances surrounding her death, scientists conducting the postmortem were struck by the striking beauty of the otter's internal organs. This is in stark contrast to the author's first encounter with an otter 25 years ago, when chemical pollution had decimated their numbers and made them extremely rare. The young female otter examined was found to be largely intact aside from a mark on her hind left leg and some bleeding from the nose.
The tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by UK wildlife, particularly those living near roads. Cardiff University's Otter Project notes that the vast majority – over 200 annually – of animals dissected are roadkill. Efforts to improve habitats for otters, such as those made by the National Peatland Action Programme at Cors Caron (Tregaron Bog), where artificial holts have been constructed, may provide some hope for these beleaguered creatures.