A wildlife trust is “delighted” that rare otters have been spotted in the county.

An otter was photographed in the River Thames near Wallingford and Benson by amateur wildlife photographer Simon Booker.

Mr Booker often does not give out the exact location he photographers animals so hunters cannot find them.

The images he took show a young otter emerging from the undergrowth and enjoying a swim along the river.

Check out more of Mr Booker's images of the otter here>>>

Oxford Mail: picture: Simon Bookerpicture: Simon Booker

Debbie Lewis, Head of Ecology for the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT), said: “We are delighted to see these fantastic photographs.

“Otters are widespread across our region but still rare, so it’s great to see an otter that appears to be thriving on part of the Thames in Oxfordshire.

“Like a lot of our wildlife, otters are threatened by habitat loss from human activity and pollution, and they need our help.

“We are honoured to have otters at several BBOWT nature reserves, but landowners, farmers and local authorities also have opportunities to help create and protect more habitat for otters in our area - and we are pleased to say that many are already doing so.”

Otters are one of the country’s top predators and are well suited to a life on the water as they have webbed feet, dense fur to keep them warm, and can close their ears and nose when underwater.

They require clean rivers, with an abundant source of food and plenty of vegetation to hide their secluded holts.

While they are widespread, they are still rare to see as they are absent from parts of central and southern England, the Isle of Man, the Isles of Scilly and the Channel Islands.

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