The Environment Agency (EA) announced yesterday that otters have made a return to almost every county in England, coming back from the brink of extinction. The agency said the news is the result of reintroduction programmes and a cleaner environment as well as reductions in water abstracted from rivers by farmers and industry.

An EA survey conducted last year showed otters had returned to every county except Kent. However, two otters have been spotted building holts on the banks of the rivers Medway and Eden in the county. image expired