The growing use of illegal crayfish traps has been criticised by environmental groups after an otter became trapped and died on a West Yorkshire canal.
The dead otter was found in a crayfish trap near a bridge on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal in Silsden and those responsible were currently unknown, according to police.
The Environment Agency said such traps were an ongoing issue on waterways, while the Canal and River Trust said it was “hugely concerning”.
Phillippa Baron, senior ecologist at the Canal & River Trust, said the recent return of otters to the River Aire and the Leeds & Liverpool Canal had been an “environmental success story” and it was “very sad” to hear of the animal’s death.
This article contains images some readers may find distressing.
Baron said: “Once rarely seen due to pollution and habitat loss, otter numbers are gradually increasing – an important indicator of a healthy ecosystem in our waterways.
“So, the discovery of an otter drowned after getting caught in an illegal trap, believed to have been left in the canal to catch crayfish, is not only very sad, but also hugely concerning.”