West Sussex County Council is helping keep otters safe crossing the road by installing a new ‘mammal shelf’ in a culvert under the A272.

The council, in collaboration with the National Trust and Arun & Rother Rivers Trust is installing the shelf close to one of the county’s only breeding otter populations this Autumn.

At one point there were no otters in West Sussex with road casualties thought to be one of the main issues hampering their return. Rather than swimming under bridges or through culverts, otters will often choose to travel on foot, resulting in them crossing roads to reach breeding grounds. The specially designed mammal shelf will allow otters to run safely under the road on a ledge above the water.