Otters have returned to Welsh rivers and wetlands, with nine out of every ten sites surveyed by Environment Agency Wales showing signs of the species.

The Otter Survey of Wales 2009-10 shows that otters are present at around 1,000 Welsh sites, with the Cleddau and Teifi rivers highly populated.

The agency credits the otters’ return to a ban on pesticides, coupled with the introduction of legal protection for the otter and a dramatic improvement in water quality in Welsh rivers.

“The otter is an important biological indicator of the health of our rivers and wetlands. Monitoring its status gives us a valuable measure of how well our water environment is faring,” said biodiversity officer Rob Strachan.