Local Wildlife in Milltown

There were wildlife cameras installed along the River bank near the village recently.  Imagine our surprise to see what was found.  Keep your eyes peeled when you are walking along the river and through the countryside, you never know what you might see.

We were delighted to see a family of Badgers.  They are generally very secretive and nocturnal so are rarely seen in the wild.  They are the largest terrestrial carnivore in Ireland.  As you can see, badgers are highly social animals and live in small groups in setts.  These are burrow systems.  They feed on a wide range of plants and animals.
On your walk, watch out for evidence of setts by signs of nearby activity such as bedding, a nearby latrine or well-used paths.  Their setts have one or two entrances, with large heaps of soil outside.

Also spotted out enjoying our riverbank was the Otter.  The otter is highly secretive and although widespread people tend to only get rare glimpses of the species in the wild.  Their territories can stretch for several kilometres; the total length of the home range depends on the availability of food.  Otters that live in rivers and lakes tend to be completely nocturnal, being highly active at dusk and dawn. Foraging in the dark or in ‘muddy’ water is aided by their highly sensitive whiskers, which detect their prey items.

Badgers and Otters are protected under the Wildlife Act.

Click on the link below to view the wonderful videos.

For more information visit https://www.vincentwildlife.ie/species/