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"Otter" attacking livestock in Wicklow?

steddyeddy

Hey Im wondering could anyone help me here a friend of mine and some people involved in wildlife studies have reported an "otter" like animal near lough dan and other locations up the sallygap and throughout roundwood. This animal has been seen attacking livestock ect. I heard this before as a local legend but Im extremely interested in this sort of thing and any information would be most welcome!

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Birdnuts

Could it be a large mink?? - What kind of Livestock are we talking about??

A rogue otter might swipe the odd duck from farmyards near rivers/lakes but even that would be a rare event(fish make up the vast majority of their natural diet).

PS: You might have better luck with this thread in the Nature Forum:)

steddyeddy

Birdnuts wrote: »

Could it be a large mink?? - What kind of Livestock are we talking about??

A rogue otter might swipe the odd duck from farmyards near rivers/lakes but even that would be a rare event.

PS: You might have better luck with this thread in the Nature Forum:)

Hey Birdnuts thanks for the reply It was a farmer in wicklow who told me that he thinks what looks like an otter was attacking his chickens (im not joking) he described it as a lot larger than a minx and larger than an otter. Hes not the type to lie. Another man years ago said he saw a very large "otter" cross the road near the cullenamore bends in Wicklow.

Kovu

OP, would it be something similar to this?

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

If it had a creamy belly and bushy tail it's a pine martin, a native to Ireland and not allowed to be culled.
(Sorry about the bad photo, was taken out of the back door window)

steddyeddy

Karen112 wrote: »

OP, would it be something similar to this?

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

If it had a creamy belly and bushy tail it's a pine martin, a native to Ireland and not allowed to be culled.
(Sorry about the bad photo, was taken out of the back door window)

Hey Karen I saw a pine martin the spit of that one once before they will take a lot of people by surprise but I was delighted to see one. He describes it as a lot larger than a minx or otter. Im coming from a background of biology and thats where my interest lies so thats why Im enquiring.

Birdnuts

steddyeddy wrote: »

Hey Karen I saw a pine martin the spit of that one once before they will take a lot of people by surprise but I was delighted to see one. He describes it as a lot larger than a minx or otter. Im coming from a background of biology and thats where my interest lies so thats why Im enquiring.

A Pine Martin is alot smaller then an otter and looks like a small hairy cat - at least the ones I've seen do.

Kovu

steddyeddy wrote: »

Hey Karen I saw a pine martin the spit of that one once before they will take a lot of people by surprise but I was delighted to see one. He describes it as a lot larger than a minx or otter. Im coming from a background of biology and thats where my interest lies so thats why Im enquiring.

Then I am quite baffled. Unless he seen a large mink/martin or a small jack russell type dog?

steddyeddy

Birdnuts wrote: »

A Pine Martin is alot smaller then an otter and looks like a small hairy cat - at least the ones I've seen do.

Sorry birdnuts I should have phrased that better. He didnt mention Pine martin but said i was bigger than an otter and far bigger than a otter. He not concerned his livestock but hes a bit shaken by something he couldnt explain.

steddyeddy

Karen112 wrote: »

Then I am quite baffled. Unless he seen a large mink/martin or a small jack russell type dog?

Thanks Karen Im a bit baffled myself. He actually thinks he seen an unknown animal but I think it could have been a dog myself. It happend at night near lough dan so maybe a dog had been swimming in there and aproached his land. In the moon light it would have looked quite shiny. So maybe thats one explantion?

Birdnuts

steddyeddy wrote: »

Sorry birdnuts I should have phrased that better. He didnt mention Pine martin but said i was bigger than an otter and far bigger than a otter. He not concerned his livestock but hes a bit shaken by something he couldnt explain.

Very odd alright - the only explanation I can think of is some exotic animal that has escaped from its owner - do people keep Giant South American Otters as pets??, I hope not!!

steddyeddy

Birdnuts wrote: »

Very odd alright - the only explanation I can think of is some exotic animal that has escaped from its owner - do people keep Giant South American Otters as pets??, I hope not!!

I bloody hope not!!! Is wild boar a possibility? He said he saw it "Go for his chickens" so maybe it would charge at them. The only other thing is maybe a dog was swimming in the nearby lake and went on to his land.

Birdnuts

steddyeddy wrote: »

Thanks Karen Im a bit baffled myself. He actually thinks he seen an unknown animal but I think it could have been a dog myself. It happend at night near lough dan so maybe a dog had been swimming in there and aproached his land. In the moon light it would have looked quite shiny. So maybe thats one explantion?

I think thats the most likely explanation - possibly some odd looking rare breed the farmer might not be familiar with.

Birdnuts

steddyeddy wrote: »

I bloody hope not!!! Is wild boar a possibility? He said he saw it "Go for his chickens" so maybe it would charge at them..

Hard to confuse a Wild Boar with an Otter!!:eek:;)

steddyeddy

Birdnuts wrote: »

I think thats the most likely explanation - possibly some odd looking rare breed the farmer might not be familiar with.

Ill say one thing If you were ever up the sallygap at night its a very creepy place I dont blame him for being shaken.

Kovu

Birdnuts wrote: »

Very odd alright - the only explanation I can think of is some exotic animal that has escaped from its owner - do people keep Giant South American Otters as pets??, I hope not!!

I know a couple of people with these - http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lla5j1N1Ly1qd00qdo1_400.jpg in the Dublin area. Haven't heard of any escapees though.

(Savannagh cats)

Birdnuts

Karen112 wrote: »

I know a couple of people with these - http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lla5j1N1Ly1qd00qdo1_400.jpg in the Dublin area. Haven't heard of any escapees though.

(Savannagh cats)

One escaped near Baldoyle a few years back but was found dead on a local road a few days later. I suppose its a possiblity but this species comes from sub-tropical regions and might find the averge winter in the Wickllow Mtns not to its liking;)

steddyeddy

Karen112 wrote: »

I know a couple of people with these - http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lla5j1N1Ly1qd00qdo1_400.jpg in the Dublin area. Haven't heard of any escapees though.

(Savannagh cats)

He describes it as having longer legs than an otter, shiny, rocks from side to side and seemed uncomfortable in the open. That descritpion could describe a cat thats wet. I can only put it down to one for the X-files.

dar31

neighbour had to move his sheep out of, one of his fathers field that they were grazing, cause he was finding lambs dead with small bite marks on the neck area. field had a small stream to one side of it.

they reckon it was a mink, ive seen a black mink in the same area over the last few years, but its the first time lambs were killed

steddyeddy

Birdnuts wrote: »

One escaped near Baldoyle a few years back but was found dead on a local road a few days later. I suppose its a possiblity but this species comes from sub-tropical regions and might find the averge winter in the Wickllow Mtns not to its liking;)

Ever hear of anything reported out of the ordinary around wicklow Birdnuts? I ask because it says wicklow in your location and this isnt the first time I have heard this sort of description. A hunter from Kilcoole as I mentioned earlier saw one cross the road. Im ambitious so I always like to solve mysteries even if theres a mundane explantion

steddyeddy

dar31 wrote: »

neighbour had to move his sheep out of, one of his fathers field that they were grazing, cause he was finding lambs dead with small bite marks on the neck area. field had a small stream to one side of it.

Quite similar to what I heard in Wicklow. The only other place in Ireland I have heard that is clifden. Again this was beside a lake stream. This is interesting. Thanks a lot.

Birdnuts

dar31 wrote: »

neighbour had to move his sheep out of, one of his fathers field that they were grazing, cause he was finding lambs dead with small bite marks on the neck area. field had a small stream to one side of it.

Sounds like mink - I think our very own JG had similiar problem a few years back. There is now a bounty on mink(3 euro) so trapping these non-native invaders is even more worthwhile.

Kovu

I think I'll leave it up to ye lads. Nil a fhios agam!

Actually, recalling when our hens were killed here, any dung about around the carcass?

johngalway

My first thought was a badger. My second thought was a badger with different colouration to normal, I've seen a differently coloured one once, think it was quite white, can't 100% remember now.

Google gives me:

http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/topic/118378-do-otters-kill-chickens/

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/223183/otter-mink-or-weasel-attack

I shot a fox one time, it was stood on a rock in a river, fell into the river after the shot. I had to collect the fox for a study so I went and fished him out of the river. As I was perched on the rock reaching for the fox I heard a swish of water. Not more than one foot from the fox, and my hand, was an otter. It wasn't afraid and didn't go away until I removed the fox. Always wondered if the otter would have tucked into the dead fox or not.

Regarding mink, I have had no trouble with them to date that I know of. However, near Letterfrack there has been significant problems reported regarding the killing of lambs and young sheep.

steddyeddy

johngalway wrote: »

My first thought was a badger. My second thought was a badger with different colouration to normal, I've seen a differently coloured one once, think it was quite white, can't 100% remember now.

Google gives me:

http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/topic/118378-do-otters-kill-chickens/

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/223183/otter-mink-or-weasel-attack

I shot a fox one time, it was stood on a rock in a river, fell into the river after the shot. I had to collect the fox for a study so I went and fished him out of the river. As I was perched on the rock reaching for the fox I heard a swish of water. Not more than one foot from the fox, and my hand, was an otter. It wasn't afraid and didn't go away until I removed the fox. Always wondered if the otter would have tucked into the dead fox or not.

Regarding mink, I have had no trouble with them to date that I know of. However, near Letterfrack there has been significant problems reported regarding the killing of lambs and young sheep.

Thats interesting John thanks very much. Interesting that some posters on that thread are fairly sure otters attack chickens. Its totally possible for a large one I suppose. I asked him about the badger and he said it definatly looked more like an otter!

4200fps

Birdnuts wrote: »

Sounds like mink - I think our very own JG had similiar problem a few years back. There is now a bounty on mink(3 euro) so trapping these non-native invaders is even more worthwhile.

I heard that at work last week that there is a bounty on mink. Also if its true how do you get the 3euro? After you get a mink of coarse. Is there anything else that theres a bounty for like grey squirrel

homerhop

otter wiped out 30 ducks on a pond and all the nests on us this summer. was caught in a cage trap and relocated back onto the river

1chippy

to johngalway. i lived in letterfrack for a good while and not to say that your story isnt true, but i quickly learnt to take all stories that started in letterfrack with a slight pinch of salt. theres a few lads over there that can tell a good story.:D

Birdnuts

homerhop wrote: »

otter wiped out 30 ducks on a pond and all the nests on us this summer. was caught in a cage trap and relocated back onto the river

That can occasionally happen with small private bodies of water - usually private trout lakes and duck ponds that a rogue wandering Otter happens to come across. These are usually young males kicked out of prime territories along larger lakes,coasts and rivers by bigger males. In such circumstances the NPWS usually allows owners to trap and re-locate these indviduals to larger bodies of water.

Birdnuts

4200fps wrote: »

I heard that at work last week that there is a bounty on mink. Also if its true how do you get the 3euro? After you get a mink of coarse. Is there anything else that theres a bounty for like grey squirrel

There's definatley a bounty coming in for mink(3 euro) and I think theres one already operated by NARGC/NPWS for grey squirrels.

PS: Theres been a few threads on this subject in the hunting forum over the past few months so its probably worth checking out the exact details there:)

crucamim

Birdnuts wrote: »

Hard to confuse a Wild Boar with an Otter!!:eek:;)

Are there Wild Boar anywhere in Ireland?

As for the OP, I cannot be helpful. I would be surprised if it were an otter. The behaviour indicates a mink but I find it hard to believe that a farmer would mistake a mink for a large otter. I am inclined to agree with those who think it was a dog.

Birdnuts

crucamim wrote: »

Are there Wild Boar anywhere in Ireland?

.

There have been a few reports in recent months of individuals shot in Laois and Wicklow, I beleive the NPWS are looking to see if these animals are true Wild Boar or feral Old breed pigs - again the hunting forum is probably your best bet for finding out more:)