Check out Murray, aged 9, from Aberdeen, amazing otter art!

Iona Wilson's Poem "Otter and her litter"

Iona Wilson, who entered the children's artwork competition, has written this Otter-ly awesome poem (below). 

The poem reads:

Otter slips into the water

All the stones go clitter clatter

The stream whistles with the wind

And the brown shadow of the otter darkens into the water

With all her litter, she leaves the holt

By the water, the salmon leaps

And the fearless otter takes a breath and catches it

Got it!

The well fed otters set off again.

We have our winners!

After being overwhelmed by the number of entries and a lot of thought to find an eventual winner we have found our two winners. The winners are as follows:

Under 10 years of age.

Milana Cherikova, aged 8, from Russia for this adorable painting.

Aged 11-16

Sydney Holloway, aged 13, from South Africa for her amazing drawing of this mother and cub.

IOSF's Childrens Artwork Competition

IOSF Children's Artwork Competition 2020 is now closed!

The winners will be announced on World Otter Day!

This page is for you to send us your poems, pictures, letters, photos and jokes. Send to ben@otter.org 

Badcaul Primary

Check out the children of Badcaul Primary Schools ottery art below!

Poppy Lewis-Ing

This beautiful otter collage was created by Poppy Lewis-Ing who is the otter ambassador for the Ullapool Sea Savers.

Ullapool Sea Savers are a group of children who protect the marine environment around where they live. The Ullapool Sea Savers played a major role in preventing the mechanical kelp dredging that has been proposed in the seas around the west coast of Scotland. Should this proposal have been granted it would have had major implications on the habitats for all coastal species, including otters.

#teamotter #otters #conservation #otteryart

2018 Otter Artwork Competition

Here is IOSF's artwork competition winner for 2018.

The winner, by Molly Simko, aged 11, from Pennsylvania, USA beat a lot of really good competition to this year's prize.

Congratulations Molly!

'The Bumpy Trail' by Daniel MacAlpine

We were ready to go. Dad started our brand new 4x4 pick-up engine.  I waved to mum as we drove off.  First we turned off the main road, down a muddy, wet, bumpy trail.  It was so much fun.  We went up a nearly vertical hill.  Suddenly, Dad slammed on the brakes, screech!  We saw something brown and furry peeping out of the grass. I jumped down out of the pick-up truck and walked slowly over. I saw an.....OTTER! I was really excited as I had never seen an otter in the wild before.  As I got closer, I noticed that the otter had a sore leg.  I beckoned to dad to come and have a look. He GASPED! It had a fishing net wrapped around his paw. I looked at dad and wondered what we should do.  Then I remembered about the International Otter Survival Fund (IOSF) hospital in Broadford. I had visited the hospital when we were on holiday last year on the Isle of Skye.  Dad called the hospital to ask for their advice.  They asked if we could bring the otter to the hospital so that he could be cared for.  Dad and I wrapped the otter in a cosy blanket.  The otter was trembling but he was so exhausted that he let us carefully lift him into the back of the pick-up. 

We set off back along the bumpy trail.  This time much more slowly so as not to frighten the otter. We came round a sharp corner and dad had to swerve suddenly to avoid a tree trunk which was lying across the track.  The pick-up lurched into a ditch at the side of the dirt track.  Dad revved the engine to try and get us out but it was no good.  We were stuck! The otter was getting more and more distressed and making squeaking noises in the back of the truck.  Dad and I looked at each other in panic.  Now what were we going to do? We needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible before the otter became too frightened.  Dad phoned the local garage and a man with a six wheeled drive pick-up said that he would come and help us to get out of the ditch.  I spoke softly to the otter while we waited.  It seemed like a long time but eventually he arrived and towed us out.  We carried on and arrived in Broadford. A kind lady called Sarah came out to meet us.  She lifted the otter gently and took him inside to be examined.  Dad and I went back to the holiday cottage where we were staying to tell mum all about our adventure.

A few weeks later I received a letter to say thank you for helping to rescue 'Oscar' and a photograph showing his mended paw.  I can't wait to go on the bumpy trail again and wonder what we might find next time?!

Everyone at IOSF, and all the otters, would like to congratulate Daniel for finishing runner up in the Wicked Young Writer awards. Here he is, pictured with Cressida Cowell, in London, being presented with his award.

Well done Daniel 

Diego André Flores Ovando, aged 8

As part of World Otter Day Aurora Zoo, Guatemala, held a 2 day event to celebrate the species. As part of the event they ran an artwork competition and this was the winner by Diego André Flores Ovando, aged 8.

What a superb piece of ottery art!

Artwork all the way from Tanzania

Cara Beaver, aged 10

This great picture was actually handed to us personally by Cara. Cara has adopted an otter and has plans to sell some cakes to raise awareness for IOSF and the work it is doing.

Thanks Cara, keep up the good work!

Family effort!

Isla may have been the star with her poem but that didn't stop Mum, Dad and little sister Gracie trying to better her artwork! Here is all of the Caddell's efforts