An otter or a mink?

Jul 30, 2024
1 min read

A small, dark brown animal on a leafy path surrounded by dense green foliage. The mood is serene.

Small animal on a grassy path in a lush green forest. The scene feels serene with vibrant foliage.

A small mink stands alert on a grassy path bordered by dense green foliage.

A small brown mammal walks on a narrow, stone path surrounded by lush green grass and foliage. Calm setting.

A dark brown animal is walking on a green, leafy path. Lush vegetation surrounds the area.

A small, dark-furred animal sits on a grassy forest path, surrounded by lush green foliage. The mood is serene and natural.

Whilst walking alongside the river Wharfe at 6AM one grey and muggy morning I encountered this guy coming the other way in search of breakfast. As he was approximately 10 feet from where I had previously seen an otter swimming, and much bigger than a ferret type animal, I assumed it was a "dry" otter. However others seeing some of these images on Instagram disagree.

Consulting articles on the internet (a good one is here), the colour and the face do suggest a mink. However the size of over 3ft in length, and the fact that it appeared to be hunting insects, suggested otter. You can decide.

Hopefully I will get a better picture next time!