Otter

This wildlife park dog Otter had grown so accustomed to being fed fish by the keepers on a regular basis that it cried incessantly when I opened my kit bag to take this shot. I never wanted an image that appeared to have been taken in the wild, but I was looking for a shot that at least didn't look unnatural. I rejected pictures taken where the Otter was crying while standing on its hind legs in favour of this more naturalistic composition. The many initiatives to boost Otter numbers in the UK are achieving huge successes and improved water quality in many areas is also paying dividends. But numbers are still very low and an Otter in the wild remains one of my must-get shots…

Canon 1Ds MkII, 1/50 sec, f/8, 344mm at ISO 400