30 years later: otters are back in Flanders
A young otter was spotted in the Scheldt valley recently. The last report about an otter that had been spotted, was in 2012 in Willebroek. But this time it's different, because a breeding place was discovered as well. "That's we are officially talking about a return", says Hendrik Moeremans of the environmental agency Natuurpunt. "This time we know for sure that it's not a coincidence, that it's not an otter which lost the way and ended up in Flanders."
The return is good news, because otters are a demanding species. "Its return means that nature is recovering. Water quality has improved, and the habitat is healthy and large enough."
This otter may have a link with the Netherlands, where they were reintroduced. It's not easy to spot one, because the animals are very shy.