Otter spotted taking a stroll along the River Exe

The otter did not seem phased by passers-by. Credit: Rob Hardy

An otter has been spotted taking a stroll along the River Exe.

Passer-by Rob Hardy noticed the animal making its way in and out of the water and stopped to take some pictures.

He said: "I was walking down Mill Lane on the Exe, there was an otter and I took some pictures of it. I think it was hunting."

When asked if this was a familiar sight to see in the area he said: "I've seen quite a few otters, but it was quite uncommon to see it in the city centre."

The Woodland Wildlife Trust says the return of the otter across the UK is a conservation success story.

By the 1950s, the species was on the brink of extinction due to hunting, habitat destruction and chemicals leaching into watercourses.

The otter has no natural predators in the UK, but pollution and road traffic accidents remain a threat, according to wildlife experts.

The South West of England is known as an otter hotspot.