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Living World

Factual: Science & Nature: Nature & Environment

The Living World

Getting up close and personal with wild nature in Britain and beyond.

Intimate encounters and extraordinary observations of wild nature in Britain and beyond.

Living World: Otters

26/03/2017

Otters

BBC Radio 4 - Living World, Otters

Jessica Holm searches for otters along the Tarka Trail in Devon. Recorded in 1993.

Chris Packham relives programmes from the Living World archives. In this programme recorded in 1993, Jessica Holm is in search of otters along the Tarka Trail in Devon.

Chris Packham relives programmes from The Living World archives.

First published 90 years ago this year Henry Williamsons 'Tarka the Otter' followed the life and death struggles of a male otter and raised the awareness of this much loved mustelid in the public imagination. Suffering from years of decline by the 1960's the otter population was in steep decline, but by the time of this programme from 1993, the fortunes of the otter were beginning to improve. Joining Jessica Holm on the then newly opened Tarka Trail in Devon are local naturalist Trevor Beer who knew Henry Williamson, and otter biologist Paul Chanin. The programme follows in the footsteps of Williamson's book thereby allowing Jessica to uncover along the way signs of otter activity, though the chances of seeing this largely nocturnal animal were unlikely.

Producer Andrew Dawes.

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