Boost for wild otters thanks to council funding
Numbers of wild otters at WWT Washington Wetland Centre are set to increase following a grant from Sunderland City Council.
Our reserve team has installed three new otter holts close to our boundary along the River Wear, where we hope wild Eurasian otters will take refuge and breed in the months and years ahead.
The council funded the work as compensation for any loss of wildlife habitat along the river during the construction of the city’s new bridge project – and evidence shows that they’re already in use.
Reserve Manager John Gowland said: “We have had small pockets of wild otters at the centre for some time, but we have been keen to enhance the surroundings to accommodate more as they are very territorial, so would not come and stay unless living conditions were right for them.
“It’s a perfect location here because it’s a safe haven, right beside the river, so we knew that if we engineered some otter holts into the banks around the lagoon there was a good chance they would come.
“The funding from Sunderland City Council has been really beneficial. We’re very grateful to the New Wear Crossing team. We have already seen lots of additional otter prints in the vicinity, and you never know, over time visitors may get a greater opportunity for sightings as numbers increase. It’s looking really positive.”
Work also recently began on a new hide overlooking the lagoon, which has been made possible through a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other generous funders http://www.wwt.org.uk/news/all-news/2015/11/wwt-news-washington/work-begins-on-lagoon-view-hide/
The hide will provide visitors with 360-degree views of the wildlife using this uniquely balanced habitat – one of the rarest in the UK – including wild otters.
Leader of Sunderland City Council, Councillor Paul Watson, toured the site and looked at where the new otter holts had been installed underground.
He said: “WWT Washington Wetland Centre is a fantastic facility, with tremendous ambitions to expand, so we are delighted to be able to contribute.
“We’re very lucky to have this wildlife haven on our doorstep, so it’s only right that we do everything we can to invest in its future. I will be watching with interest to see if the otter population swells over time.”
Work on the New Wear Crossing project began in May this year. The project, part of a wider strategic transport plan, will improve access from the A19 to Sunderland city centre and Port of Sunderland. Further, it will help regenerate the area, relieve congestion and attract new jobs and investment to the city.
The new bridge will cross the River Wear between Wessington Way and European Way and will be the first bridge to be built in the city for more than 40 years.
Cllr Watson added: “The bridge is going to bring a number of positives to the city of Sunderland, not least boosting the economy and reducing congestion on our roads. We have a great team in place and are pushing ahead, on schedule, so it’s a very exciting time. To be able to help Washington Wetland Centre as part of the construction process is a great opportunity.”
For more information about the New Wear Crossing project, visit www.newwearcrossing.co.uk or to sign up to receive a monthly newsletter on the New Wear Crossing, email newwearcrossing@farrans.com or call 0800 223 0379.
