Otter sneaks into pond and devours over 100 Koi Carp in five days

2022-10-31

Gluttonous otter sneaks into retired teacher’s garden pond and devours more than 100 Koi Carp during five-day feeding frenzy

Kieran McCarthy, 68, ‘absolutely devastated’ after otter went on a killing spree
Five-day attack saw 106 Koi Carp devoured at his home in St Johns, Worcester
The retired teacher had also spent £140 on covering his ponds in chicken wire
Mr McCarthy described otters as ‘absolute killing machines’ if you have pet fish

A retired teacher was ‘absolutely devastated’ after a gluttonous otter devoured more than 100 of his Koi Carp during a five-day feeding frenzy.

Kieran McCarthy, 68, has been looking after his beloved fish at home home for 25 years but he was shocked when they suddenly began vanishing.

He suspected an otter was to blame after he found the stripped down carcass of a fish dumped by the side of one of his two ponds on October 20.

Mr McCarthy, who lives in St Johns, Worcester, described otters as ‘absolute killing machines’ when you have pet fish.

The traumatic five-day attack saw 106 of his Koi Carp – which are worth around £7,000 – brutally killed in both his front and back ponds over five days, despite having spent £140 on covering them with chicken wire.

‘I’ve been looking after fish for 25 years but I’ve never seen anything like this before,’ Mr McCarthy said.

‘I’m cheesed off, angry and frustrated but an otter does what an otter does. I have spent £140 on chicken wire and I spent all day in the pouring rain securing the back pond.

Kieran McCarthy (pictured), 68, is ‘absolutely devastated’ after a gluttonous otter went on an insane five-day feeding frenzy, leaving 106 of his expensive Koi Carp dead

Incredible images caught the otter sneaking into Mr McCarthy’s pond, where it proceeded to kill more than a hundred of the retired teacher’s Koi Carp

Mr McCarthy has been looking after his beloved fish at home home for 25 years but he was shocked when they suddenly began vanishing

The furious grandfather-of-seven said after the attacks: ‘I’m cheesed off, angry and frustrated but an otter does what an otter does’

‘I keep two ponds, one in the back garden and another at the front. It was all about the otter, no matter the cost to its victims or me.’

The rampant otter tucked into thousands of pounds worth of Koi Carp – a fish which originated in Japan and come in more than a dozen different varieties.

Mr McCarthy, who believes he will now have to find a new hobby due to the ‘soul-destroying’ event, added: ‘I couldn’t believe that in a built-up area, we would see an otter like this. It has been six consecutive nights and you can’t relocate otters because they are protected species.

‘But it’s hard to see the fish’s throats being slashed or getting infected. The otters keep finding a way in, they are very intelligent creatures. It’s caused absolute havoc and I know I can’t get rid of them.

‘The council told me I was lucky to have otters in my garden. But when you have fish, they are absolute killing machines.

‘I’ve been shooing it away with my torch, but one night it didn’t work, he looked me in the eye and carried on.

‘He is so brave. He comes into the garden between 8.30pm and 5am. He doesn’t follow a schedule or a set diet. I have had pet fish for years and they’re hard work and they are very expensive to keep. I can’t go through all of this again.

His back pond (before and after) has now been drained following the attacks that left the fish with slashed necks and infections

The front pond also had to be emptied. Mr McCarthy now believes he will have to find a new hobby as it is too expensive to replace the fish

Koi Carp are distinguished by their colouring, patterning and scalation. Japan remains the biggest producer of Koi with 90 per cent of production destined for export. Pictured: Mr McCarthy’s pond before the attacks

‘It has been a hobby for years. I can’t go out to spend that type of money.

‘It’s just soul-destroying, I don’t blame the otters, what they are doing is part of nature. One fish has become infected and it will spread. I’m going to have to find something else to do now.’

Mr McCarthy has had most of his fish since they were minnows. Koi can be some of the most expensive fish in the world with some fetching up to £2,500 each.

Koi Carp are distinguished by their colouring, patterning and scalation. Japan remains the biggest producer of Koi with 90 per cent of production destined for export.

In 2016, Japan exported a record 295 tonnes of Koi Carp bringing in revenue of over £28million.

In June, Wiltshire Police sounded the alert after a string of reports of expensive fish being taken by hungry otters during night raids.

One woman, Katie Spragg, previously told how she had lost up to 30 white goldfish and Koi Carp to the animals.

Police near her home in Corsham, west Wiltshire, suggested people use welded mesh or a 4ft wire fence to cover private ponds.

Otters, which are protected by law, were almost wiped out in the 1960s due to the use of pesticides. They are making a comeback thanks to cleaner water, better fish stocks and changes in riverbank management.

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