“Ah, there, we have a crush! »exclaims Bastien Thomas, project manager at the Norman Mammalogical Group (GMN). The scene takes place near the Hauterive mill, in the Orne, on the Sarthe and its tributaries. The man has his feet in the water and he is examining an imprint, therefore, a European otter dropping. “We recognize it by its composition, it is well stuck to the rock. We see fish bones and vertebrae. »
Once he has confirmed his diagnosis, he puts the turd back, it is important: “If she put it there, it’s to mark her territory. Replacing it potentially means avoiding a possible fight with another individual of the species. »
This emblematic – and it must be said, adorable – mustelid, which measures 100 to 130 centimeters according to the national inventory of natural heritage, almost disappeared locally in the early 2000s. “It was once common, and showed a decline in the first part of the 20th century
