Rare otter sighting recorded in Canary Wharf in sign of species' 'remarkable' recovery

A rare otter sighting in London’s financial district has been hailed by rewilding experts as a major win for urban wildlife, marking a hopeful sign of their return to the city.

Security camera footage captured the elusive creature on a dock in Canary Wharf, appearing to inspect the boats moored along the water’s edge. The footage was picked up by Hannah Green and Tom Hill who live on a boat in the area.

Elliot Newton, co-founder of Citizen Zoo, expressed his delight at the sighting, calling it a “wonderful reflection of the otters’ remarkable recovery” in recent decades.

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“It’s absolutely fantastic to see footage of a healthy-looking otter captured on CCTV moving through the highly urbanised Canary Wharf area.

“This is a wonderful reflection of the recovery otters have experienced in recent decades, having faced near extinction in the mid-20th century.

“Across the UK, their return is a powerful reminder that species can bounce back when given the opportunity.

“That said, otters remain a rare sight in Greater London, but in a future where we more fully embrace nature within the city, and work to improve the quality of habitats in our rivers and the water itself, it would be wonderful if sightings like this became far more common.”

Otters are gradually making a comeback in the UK's urban areas, including cities like Birmingham, Sheffield, and London, though sightings remain relatively rare.

The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), once nearly extinct in many parts of England, has been making a comeback, with populations recovering due to improved water quality and conservation efforts. These otters are now occasionally spotted in urban areas, including parts of London.

Plans to reintroduce otters into London’s waterways were outlined by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan earlier this year.

There is an initial commitment of over £800,000 to support these efforts over the next three years.

It comes as a part of a wider initiative to revitalize the city’s waterways and enhance their health and biodiversity.

Mr Khan has invested almost £30m since 2016 to help grow the city’s biodiversity. His 2024 manifesto promised a “Green Roots fund”, enabling councils and communities to bid for funding to pay for trees, wildflower meadows, parklets and other new green spaces.

He said: “I want to turbo-charge the restoration of nature to London’s rivers and waterways, working with partners across the capital to spearhead the return of a whole host of species - from water voles, to eels, and the return of otters.”