Homeowners who were left upset and bewildered after a series of night raids resulted in the theft of thousands of pounds of costly fish from their garden ponds have been warned about an unlikely perpetrator.
After consulting with the town’s neighbourhood team, police in Corsham, Wiltshire, have concluded that a horde of hungry otters are the perpetrators.
They issued a ‘lock up your fish’ warning, recommending that residents construct welded mesh or erect a wired fence to keep the creatures at away.
‘We appreciate this is not a police matter but the fish are worth a lot of money,’ Wiltshire Police said in a statement.
A spokesperson added that ‘A wire fence similar to that used for cattle which consists of a single wire around the pond supported about 4ft from the ground.’
Both methods, they claimed, were safe for the animals but would dissuade them.
In adjacent Pewsey, Leo Pocock awoke to find otters had crept into his yard along the Kennet and Avon Canal and stolen four of his prized koi cap during the night.
‘I’ve been keeping fish for at least 25 years, and have never seen an otter until now,’ he said.
‘They took an 18-inch-long siroutsuri, type of black and white carp, worth hundreds of pounds.
‘I lost £1,500 worth of fish, but it isn’t about the money. I’ve had them since they were tiny, and I see them and feed them twice a day, like you would a cat.’
People shouldn’t be surprised, and should be grateful that otters are returning, even if it comes at a cost, according to Anna Ford of Action for the River Kennet, which works to improve the river valley’s natural environment.
‘Otters will make the most of fish in ponds, if the ponds are not sufficiently protected,’ she added.
‘To an otter, fish in a pond are much easier pickings than hunting wild fish in a flowing river.
‘We are very lucky to have otters on the Kennet. They are a native apex predator – so at the top of the food chain – and part of the river ecosystem.’
Otters, which are a protected species, usually raid between dark and dawn, though they do eat during the day as well.