Gordon Buchanan becomes Mull Otter Group’s Patron

Gordon Buchanan, Mull’s own internationally renowned wildlife photographer and filmmaker, has agreed to be patron of Mull Otter Group.

Gordon Buchanan

The television wildlife presenter and cameraman has spent his career filming wild and wonderful creatures in remote areas of the planet. Gordon has taken part in challenging expeditions across the globe in South America, Asia, Africa, Papua New Guinea, Russia and Alaska, always with a view to raising awareness of the fragility of the world’s endangered species and habitats.

Most recently Gordon has been on our screens in the highly acclaimed Tribes, Predators and Me, Elephant Family and Me, Life in the Snow and Life in Polar Bear Town.

The Mull Otter group says ‘Although a healthy population of otters exist on the Isle of Mull, the Eurasian Otter is still classed on the IUCN red data list as ‘vulnerable’. The intention of the Mull Otter Group is to work together with the local community, other agencies and visitors to the island to ensure that otters on the island are given the respect that, as wild animals, they deserve.’

Gordon will support the group that works on his home island in their conservation of otters through practical interventions, information gathering and education.

Beach Cleaning Equipment

Mull Adopt-a-Beach receive their funding cheque from MESS

MOG’s Mull Adopt-a-Beach scheme has recently been granted £500 for beach cleaning equipment. £350 from Sea Changers and £150 from MESS Island Castaways charity shops.

Not only will it help with our beach cleans, but we will lend the equipment to any organisation or individual on Mull, free of charge.

We have 20 sturdy litter pickers, 20 pairs of gloves, and 5 handy-hoop bag openers. If you have a beach clean and would like to borrow some equipment please contact Marie Fox on mfox62@gmail.com.

Many thanks to Sea-Changers and MESS, and happy beach cleaning!

World Otter Day

May 31st was World Otter Day, and Mull Otter Group marked the day with lots of fun and educational activities for local children.

We were joined by Ulva Ferry, Dervaig, Lochdon, and Lochaline schools at Craignure Bunkhouse.  With the sun shining, and all those eager, young faces the scene was set for a brilliant day.

Nigel Burch lead children on a walk to the shoreline to spot signs and tracks of the local otters, and back at base camp he showed the children a miniature model of the otter’s world including freshwater pools, spraint patches, and the difficulties presented to the otter of how to cross the road!

Meanwhile, Laura Penny explored the mysteries of an otter’s skeleton with another group of children.

Otter Skeleton

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another group of children learned all about rescuing orphaned otters with Jane Stevens.

Other groups of children engaged in story-telling, making collages, writing postcards.

And if that wasn’t enough there was otter face painting provided by Imogen

The groups of children then swapped around, so everyone had a chance to try everything!

Some children from Lochaline, along with some adult wildlife enthusiasts, spent the whole day with David Woodhouse from Isle of Mull Wildlife Expeditions. They had a great day out, and saw practically every example of Mull’s great wildlife including an otter!

Many thanks to all involved in the day. So many people devoted their time for free, and we couldn’t be more grateful.  Special thanks go to Craignure Bunkhouse for kindly letting us use their lovely space for our event, and being so helpful.

And we were so glad that the children seemed to enjoy themselves, and learn so much at the same time!

Released Otters Doing Well on Mull

More video footage of the otters we released with the SSPCA on Mull, which shows that they are doing well. The feeding will soon be reduced and then stopped, and then they will be truly wild and independent otters. We are indebted to the kind person who every evening is putting out the fish and keeping an eye on them. Despite kind donations of fish from Mull folk we have had to buy more to get the otters through their transition period. If anyone would like to make a donation to help see here for details on how
https://mullottergroup.co.uk/support-us/

Released otters doing well on Mull

More video footage of the otters we released with the SSPCA on Mull, which shows that they are doing well. The feeding will soon be reduced and then stopped, and then they will be truly wild and independent otters. We are indebted to the kind person who every evening is putting out the fish and keeping an eye on them. Despite kind donations of fish from Mull folk we have had to buy more to get the otters through their transition period. If anyone would like to make a donation to help see our website for details on howhttps://mullottergroup.co.uk/support-us/

Posted by Mull Otter Group on Sonntag, 19. März 2017

Released Otters on Video

Just look at some of the video footage Mull Otter Group managed to get of our newly released otters last night! The otters we released a couple of weeks ago are eating the fish that is being left out for them (just temporarily to get them through their transition period). By the look of it they are also managing to stay ahead of the competition coming from the local ferral cat.

Released Otters on Mull

Just look at some of the video footage we managed to get of our newly released otters last night! The otters we released a couple of weeks ago are eating the fish that is being left out for them (just temporarily to get them through their transition period). By the look of it they are also managing to stay ahead of the competition coming from the local ferral cat. If anyone has any spare fish let us know.

Posted by Mull Otter Group on Sonntag, 26. Februar 2017

Full Circle: Rescued Otters Released

Last year we rescued a small abandoned cub, Gribun, which would otherwise have died, and it went off to be reared by the SSPCA and it joined another small cub there. The SSPCA did a splendid job and the otters were mature enough to be returned to Mull for release. Last Thursday we released both otters together at a secret site.

Otter being released

After 6 days of no sightings today we saw the girls swimming, fishing, feeding and chattering together and generally looking like happy otters. Such a great finish to a long journey and it makes MOG’s work so worthwhile.
Our thanks go to the SSPCA team, the lovely lady who found the otter cub and also to a fantastic couple who live close to the release site and are putting out some extra fish daily in case our otters need a supplement in their first few weeks.

Otter just after release

Why Did the Otter Cross the Road? – Second Reflector Installation

Just like the chicken, it wanted to get to the other side!

Otters need to cross the roads which lie between the feeding area on the shore, and the places where they rest and get fresh water which are further inland. We wish they would wait until it’s safe to cross the road, or always use the convenient tunnels a.k.a. culverts. But until someone figures out how to teach otters about road saftey we have to think of other methods.

So Mull Otter Group have been working up a sweat again.  On Sunday 27th November a small group of us installed a set of reflectors at the side of the road near Pennygown. This is the second set for Mull, and the second in the area, which is a hot spot for otter road fatalities.

Roadside reflectors Pennygown, Mull
Roadside reflectors Pennygown, Mull

The reflectors angle the light from car headlights into the verge, where any otter considering crossing the road will hopefully wait until it’s safer to cross. This is part of our trial on Mull, but it has proved successful on Skye.  We hope it will be successful on Mull.

True to form, MOG folk used this as an excuse to eat cake, but I suppose we’d burned off a few calories!

MOG folk eating cake again
MOG folk eating cake again