A review of the history of Otters in the Don from the early 17th century to 2000 is given in The Naturalist (1976) 101: 3-12 and Yesterday Today (2000) 32: 30-35.
2006: Since 2000 in early October 2006 anglers noticed large numbers of otter tracks in the tidal mud of the Don, below the aqueduct at the southern end of the New Junction Canal (SE/614113) (pers. comm. Michael Jackson). Then in the early hours of 10 October Ken Pearson found a 3ft 9in adult male otter which had been run over on the Thorpe in Balne Road at Thorpe Marsh Power Station (SE/607093).
2009: On 3rd February 2009 a road casualty specimen measuring 3ft 6in long was reported by Mr. Roy Dresser on the A614, adjacent to the tidal Don opposite Chatterton Farm (SE/667184) (pers. comm. M. Limbert).
2017: (BBC News 23 Sept. 2017). A two-year University of Sheffield research project has monitored the otter population along the banks of the River Don in Sheffield. Scientists from the University analysed the DNA from Otter droppings (spraints) collected along the river. The results gave researchers an insight into otter numbers, their distribution and diet.
Dr Deborah Dawson said results indicated that up to seven otters lived along a 15-mile stretch of the river.
The first reports of otters returning to the river were in 2010. She said analysing the numbers of the otters gave a good indication of the health of other wildlife along the river.
“If you know the otter is doing OK, you know the River Don is doing OK,” said Dr Dawson.
“All the species underneath that feed on the food chain must all be in a good state to be able to support a top predator like an otter.”
(https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-41372240).
2021: (November) Confirmed sightings of Otters on the river Don a few miles upstream of Sprotbrough Flash (SK/5299) gave credence to unconfirmed reports of Otters on the Don adjacent to Sprotbrough Flash (SK/5300) during November. (A Year at Sprotbrough Flash and the Don Gorge Newsletter 2021 Martin Roper).
2022: (May) After several unconfirmed sightings in the adjacent Don, an Otter was observed at Sprotbrough Flash from Kingfisher hide (SK/5301) in the early morning of 5 May. It was visible for several minutes swimming down the Flash towards Heron hide and was photographed by Mark Prior. (A Year at Sprotbrough Flash and the Don Gorge Newsletter 2022 Martin Roper).
2023: (February) A dead Otter was found on the South side of Southfield Reservoir (SE/655187) by the Aire/Calder Navigation (VC63) on 6 February. It was little more than a skin with large flat head attached and had been dead for several days though its flesh, which had been mostly consumed, was still fresh. (John & Elizabeth Martin via Email).
2023: (July) An Otter was seen on Sprotbrough Flash from both Heron (SK/5300) and Kingfisher (SK/5301) hides. A week later two walkers reported seeing an Otter (which had caught a fish) in the river Don further upstream (SK/5299). Otter footprints and tail-drag marks were seen on the river mud (SK/5299) before one was seen again in the Flash at the end of the month. Photo Steve Smithurst. (A Year at Sprotbrough Flash and the Don Gorge Newsletter 2023 Martin Roper).
2024: (March) On 9 March at Highfields Lake, Doncaster (SE/543070) an Otter was seen run over on the A638, its injured corpse, laid out on the adjacent grass verge. The report was picked up on the local community Facebook page and reported to the website of the International Otter Survival Fund by Jade Beasley.
2024: (May) On 4 May an otter was seen at 11.30hrs in the River Torne at Rossington (SK/598981) between the new iPort developments and Holmes Carr Great Wood. The sighting was reported by Paul Ashley to the website of the International Otter Survival Fund.
2024: (June) A trail camera set overlooking a small sandy beach on the north bank of the River Went in Brockadale YWT Nature Reserve (VC63) (SE/500175), captured on video of an otter at 22.05hrs on 4 June 2024 (Joyce & Paul Simmons).
2024: (December) Storm Darragh arrived and … the river Don soon became torrential, while on Sprotbrough Flash, calmer waters had attracted an Otter. The Otter was observed from the Heron hide (SK/5300) on the 7th, Kingfisher hide (SK/5301) on the 8th and back at the Heron hide on the 31st and each time managed to flush the waterfowl before retreating back to the river. (A Year at Sprotbrough Flash and the Don Gorge Newsletter 2024 Martin Roper).
2024: (December) On 9 December at 20.00hrs an otter was seen in Sour Lane Drain, Fishlake (SE/656133) and the adjacent back garden of Becky Cleghorn. The incident, probably the result of Storm Darragh flood water in the Don and the Fishlake Great Ing, was caught on video and sent to the website of the International Otter Survival Fund.
Interesting photographic and video records elsewhere in Yorkshire
2017: (May) At Tophill Low SSSI (VC61) 18 May 2017 an Otter was photographed near North Marsh hide (TA/0749) by Robert Fuller.
2018: (February) The biggest surprise in the Spurn area (TA/41) (VC61) on the 12th was two Otters captured running across a lawn on an overnight trail camera in a local garden.
On the 15th a large amount of new Otter spraint was found at Filey Dams Nature Reserve. (TA/1080) (VC62).
2018: (March) An Otter was photographed feeding at the north end of High Eske NR (TA/0544) (VC61) on Tuesday morning 6 March.
(https://birdingandbikingblog.wordpress.com/category/north-cave-wetlands-2/).
2023: (January) A mother Otter and two cubs were spotted in January at the YWT Wheldrake Ings NR (SE/6944) (VC61).
(https://www.ywt.org.uk/blog/yorkshire-wildlife-trust/otterly-lovely).
2025: (January) On 8 January at 8:26pm an otter was videoed ‘icebreaking’ across the thinly frozen main lake at the YWT North Cave Wetland. (SE/8832) (VC61).
(https://x.com/NorthCaveWet/status/1877074376073338956).
Thanks to Martin Roper, John & Elizabeth Martin. Mark Prior and Steve Smithurst.
CAH. (April 2025)