Police launch investigation after carcass of animal is found on riverbank

It’s one of our most beloved mammals – but this otter was found with its neck caught in the jaws of a trap at the weekend.

Police are investigating a possible wildlife crime after the discovery of the carcass on the banks of the Sixmilewater River at Dunadry on Sunday.

The trap had been left openly on the riverbank, suggesting a deliberate attempt to target the otter, a scarce species which is protected at European level.

The shocking photos were posted on the Antrim and District Angling Association Facebook page and sparked a huge amount of interest, attracting 10,000 page views in just 12 hours. Viewers from Germany and the USA condemned the killing.

It is not clear whether the trap is an illegal gin trap or a legal clamp trap. But even if it were a legal trap, it was set in a way that is against the law, according to one member of the association who described the incident as “sickening”.

Source: Belfast Telegraph

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