Lough Boora Parklands

This photo of a pair of otters ice skating was taken at Boora canal in the Lough Boora Parklands on the 3/12/ 2008. The canal was frozen after some very heavy frost and the Otters were playing running back and forth on the ice.

Otters are commonly found throughout Ireland in both coastal waters and rivers and lakes. They feed mainly on fish and they dive for their prey and can stay underwater for up to a few minutes.

It is normally a solitary animal and is very shy and is territorial in nature. A male's territory can be as long as 16 kms of river bank and they mark their territory with droppings called spraints. They travel long distances to hunt for fish and are particularly fond of eels. There are generally two or more females within a male's territory and their litter is usually two to three cubs who are born in an underground burrow called a holt. The female drives the male away when the young are born and suckles them for six weeks and the young stay with their mother for twelve months at least.

The otter only survives in very good quality habitats and so it is very good to see them returning to the cutaway bog lands at Boora.  They have also being sighted at Turraun wetlands and other areas in Lough Boora Parklands.

As the photographer was stooped down behind the canal bank watching the pair the male otter detected his presence. Unknown to the photographer the otter crept up close to him, swam across the canal under the ice and emerged quite close to him. The otter gave a very loud and threatening snort and to put it mildly he gave the photographer quite a fright.

Photographer: Tom Egan