They’re very good at hiding.

But in Cork, we share our city rivers with at least 11 otters, some of whom starred in a short film watched by more than 250 wildlife fans at its online premiere.

While 55% of the audience admitted they had never spotted an otter on Leeside, Cork Otters, produced by Cork Natural Network, brought viewers on a fantastic journey through the city to discover Cork’s more secretive residents and how they coexist with Cork city and harbour’s inhabitants.

The film showed that the main problems Cork otters are facing are the loss of riverbank habitat, threats of development and building of roads near areas of high otter activity.

Viewers sent feedback from all over the globe, many looking forward to taking a closer look at the riverbanks in town on their next visit to Cork.

“We are thrilled with the interest we had for the film,” said Gill Weyman, Chair Cork Nature Network.

“We had more than 100 registrations in 24 hours and we were sold out days before the event so we decided to broadcast the live panel discussion on our Facebook page to reach out to many who were on the waiting list,” she added.

If you missed the event, now you can watch the short film on YouTube and catch the Panel Discussion on the Cork Nature Network Facebook page.

Otter by Chris Martin, Cork city, Main image: Kya DeLongchamps-Richards