The European Otter can be found throughout Europe along rivers, streams and in flooded plains. It needs intact scrubby riparian structures and feeds mostly on fish. The European Green Belt is one of the main refuges of the Otter, because it contains still many intact riverine and wetland structures. The regulation of rivers, the draining of floodplains, the clearance of alluvial forests, the segmentation of Otter habitats by roads and intensive fishing methods have led to a decline of populations.
Images: Robert Hofrichter