Otters are in a healthy state

Munster Blackwater's otter population is in good health and it's a great start to the year, says Donal Hickey.

It’s good to have a positive story to report early in 2017 — one of our oldest mammals, the protected otter, is in a healthy state in the Munster Blackwater.

A new study has found the river remains an important habitat for the species, scientifically known as Lutra lutra, with evidence to show it is present along the entire catchment, ranging from the sea to small feeder streams in the uplands and including all major tributaries.