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Otters Tale
Otters hold an almost unique place in the animal kingdom of the British Isles, being one of the very few creatures that give birth once every two years. They are the most secretive yet also the most popular mammals – they are found in every county but are so rarely seen that they have been raised to mythical status.
When Simon Cooper bought an abandoned water mill that straddles a small chalkstream in southern England, little did he know that he would come to share the mill with a family of wild otters. Yet move in they did, allowing him to begin to observe them, soon immersing himself in their daily routines and movements. He developed an extraordinary close relationship with the family, which in turn gave him a unique insight into the life of these fascinating creatures.
Cooper interweaves the personal story of the female otter, Kuschta, with the natural history of the otter in the British Isles, only recently brought back from the brink of extinction through tireless conservation efforts. Following in the footsteps of Henry Williamson’s classic 1920s tale Tarka the Otter, readers are taken on a journey through the calendar year, learning the most intimate detail of this most beautiful of British mammals. Cooper brings these beloved animals to life in all their wondrous complexity, revealing the previously hidden secrets of their lives in this beautifully told tale of the otter.
When Simon Cooper bought an abandoned water mill that straddles a small chalkstream in southern England, little did he know that he would come to share the mill with a family of wild otters. Yet move in they did, allowing him to begin to observe them, soon immersing himself in their daily routines and movements. He developed an extraordinary close relationship with the family, which in turn gave him a unique insight into the life of these fascinating creatures.
Cooper interweaves the personal story of the female otter, Kuschta, with the natural history of the otter in the British Isles, only recently brought back from the brink of extinction through tireless conservation efforts. Following in the footsteps of Henry Williamson’s classic 1920s tale Tarka the Otter, readers are taken on a journey through the calendar year, learning the most intimate detail of this most beautiful of British mammals. Cooper brings these beloved animals to life in all their wondrous complexity, revealing the previously hidden secrets of their lives in this beautifully told tale of the otter.
275 pages, Hardcover
First published March 22, 2018
33 people are currently reading
822 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
February 18, 2024
Simon Cooper bought an abandoned watermill along a chalk stream in Britain and quickly realized he was sharing the space with a family of otters. Through watching them (and presumably researching them, since he couldn't have possibly witnessed all he describes here), he tells his readers the story of the female Eurasian otter Kuschta: leaving her own mother, finding her own territory, choosing a mate, having a litter of cubs, and trying to teach them to survive and thrive. Sure, it leans toward the anthropomorphic, but it's also an enthralling story that will have you supremely invested in the lives of this little otter family!
Click here to hear more of my thoughts on this book over on my Booktube channel, abookolive!
Click here to hear more of my thoughts on this book over on my Booktube channel, abookolive!
May 18, 2017
(3.5) I knew going in that this could never live up to Otter Country by Miriam Darlington, but whereas her book is a mix of travel, science and dialogue with literary forebears like Henry Williamson, here Cooper is going for a narrative of two years in the life cycle of one female otter he came to know through his observations while living in an old Hampshire water mill and running a trout fishing operation.
The clue is right there in the title, of course: this is a tale, so if you have a problem with an author imagining himself into animal-only scenes this will not be one for you. At times it veered closer to anthropomorphism than I was comfortable with, but Cooper is usually careful to stress that otters are wild creatures and their ways are not our ways: when Kuschta abandons one of her babies to die, he considers fostering the young otter but instead lets nature take its course.
Starting with Kuschta being set loose by her own mother, Cooper traces her journey to his Hampshire stream, followed by her settling into a new territory, mating with Mion, and giving birth to four young: one runt that is allowed to die; a male who’s sent off to fend for himself; and two females who hunt with their mother until she decides they’re old enough to make it on their own. As the book ends, Kuschta is once again alone and ready to mate: the tale has come full circle.
Cooper adds in just enough background information about otter history, anatomy and behavior to make this a convincing general survey, and his storytelling makes you care about these individual animals without overly sentimentalizing things. So while passages like these made me nervous –
I soon settled into the rhythm of the anecdotes and enjoyed hearing about how otters negotiate the changing seasons and find their multifarious sources of food. I’d recommend this if you’ve liked books such as Tarka the Otter, Watership Down and Common Ground.
Some favorite passages:
The clue is right there in the title, of course: this is a tale, so if you have a problem with an author imagining himself into animal-only scenes this will not be one for you. At times it veered closer to anthropomorphism than I was comfortable with, but Cooper is usually careful to stress that otters are wild creatures and their ways are not our ways: when Kuschta abandons one of her babies to die, he considers fostering the young otter but instead lets nature take its course.
Starting with Kuschta being set loose by her own mother, Cooper traces her journey to his Hampshire stream, followed by her settling into a new territory, mating with Mion, and giving birth to four young: one runt that is allowed to die; a male who’s sent off to fend for himself; and two females who hunt with their mother until she decides they’re old enough to make it on their own. As the book ends, Kuschta is once again alone and ready to mate: the tale has come full circle.
Cooper adds in just enough background information about otter history, anatomy and behavior to make this a convincing general survey, and his storytelling makes you care about these individual animals without overly sentimentalizing things. So while passages like these made me nervous –
In the space of two days and two nights she had lost her mother and her home. She was alone and afraid.
If you sat an otter down to discuss the whys and wherefores of territory, the first words out of its mouth would most likely be ‘It’s complicated’
I soon settled into the rhythm of the anecdotes and enjoyed hearing about how otters negotiate the changing seasons and find their multifarious sources of food. I’d recommend this if you’ve liked books such as Tarka the Otter, Watership Down and Common Ground.
Some favorite passages:
No wonder life is so good. And what do [otters] do on that couch [a concealed resting place]? Well, in truth not very much. Like a cat, Mion sleep-dozes his way through most of the day, but being an otter he even manages to be busy when at rest, changing position many times with each hour.
Pushing down into the mud, she [Wisp, one of the daughters] moves her frog-finder paw in an arc like a mine hunter, feeling for soft flesh somewhere in the boggy morass of mud and water. Of all the hunting they ever do, this is probably the most measured; methodical and thought out.
soon you’ll get the cadence of the river. The unbroken hubble-bubble as water pours over a weir. A strange sucking slurp where the water folds over a waving raft of weed. The regular jingle as shallow, nervous water tinkles over stones.
April 13, 2017
Otters are one of our apex predators in the UK, but after the Second World War, they almost went extinct due to environmental and other pressures. That they have slowly clawed their way back as the rivers and streams that they live in became less polluted. The fact that they now they can be found in every county in the land is a conservation success and should be applauded. They are almost mythical though, they are seldom glimpsed, even when going looking for them, you may only hear a splash. You will find evidence that they are sound though, their spraints are fairly visible and you’ll probably come across the scattered remains of supper every now and again.
Even after buying a watermill on a chalkstream in Hampshire Simon Cooper didn’t expect to see one either. As he moved around the lake and streams that came with his property he began to find the evidence that they were some nearby, but it was finding a family of otters in the mill race, just feet from his desk, that he realised that he was the intruder on their territory. So begins this transitory relationship with this mother and four cubs, as Cooper spent more time watching and following their trial and tribulations of growing up and learning how to swim and feed and playing as you’d expect otters to behave.
Cooper’s daily observations have given us this well-written tale of the elusive creature that is the otter. He has used some artistic licence to write the story of Kuschta and her cubs, how she moved into the lakes, the liaison with the father and how she goes about raising and training them to hunt and survive. The story side is woven in with a raft of solid facts and detail on these fascinating creatures following them through the seasons as they live and thrive around the mill. A really good book on that most evanescent of creatures and a worthy addition to anyone’s natural history library.
Even after buying a watermill on a chalkstream in Hampshire Simon Cooper didn’t expect to see one either. As he moved around the lake and streams that came with his property he began to find the evidence that they were some nearby, but it was finding a family of otters in the mill race, just feet from his desk, that he realised that he was the intruder on their territory. So begins this transitory relationship with this mother and four cubs, as Cooper spent more time watching and following their trial and tribulations of growing up and learning how to swim and feed and playing as you’d expect otters to behave.
Cooper’s daily observations have given us this well-written tale of the elusive creature that is the otter. He has used some artistic licence to write the story of Kuschta and her cubs, how she moved into the lakes, the liaison with the father and how she goes about raising and training them to hunt and survive. The story side is woven in with a raft of solid facts and detail on these fascinating creatures following them through the seasons as they live and thrive around the mill. A really good book on that most evanescent of creatures and a worthy addition to anyone’s natural history library.
September 12, 2017
What a wonderful blend of non-fiction and story telling! Simon Cooper for some mad reason loves Otters, even though they rob him of fish on a nightly basis, they are such beautiful creatures they have found a place in his heart.
I've never seen an Otter in the wild before, but thanks to this book, for my next walk along a river I shall have a list of signs to look out for. The book is full of interesting facts about Otters, their food and the landscape they live in, at times Simon repeats a fact to show how important it is. A lot of care has gone into the story telling aspect of the tale, things get quite moving at times as the Otter fights to find food and a bit of territory for themselves.
Everything about the Otter's life seems quite brutal, from the things they are willing to eat to their parenting skills, if a tough call needs to be made they have no issues making it. The book also contains one of the most graphic sex scenes I've ever read in a nature book...puts that 50 shades of grey book to shame with how rough the Otters like to mate.
Another large part of the story is the persecution of Otters, they have been hunted down since Henry II's reign, viruses, chemical attacks and brought to the brink of destruction by the release of Minks into the wild, but some how they hung on and today they are thriving.
An amazing story of survival and I highly recommend it. I am going to have to read Ring of Bright Water soon to see how that compares.
My Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2017...
I've never seen an Otter in the wild before, but thanks to this book, for my next walk along a river I shall have a list of signs to look out for. The book is full of interesting facts about Otters, their food and the landscape they live in, at times Simon repeats a fact to show how important it is. A lot of care has gone into the story telling aspect of the tale, things get quite moving at times as the Otter fights to find food and a bit of territory for themselves.
Everything about the Otter's life seems quite brutal, from the things they are willing to eat to their parenting skills, if a tough call needs to be made they have no issues making it. The book also contains one of the most graphic sex scenes I've ever read in a nature book...puts that 50 shades of grey book to shame with how rough the Otters like to mate.
Another large part of the story is the persecution of Otters, they have been hunted down since Henry II's reign, viruses, chemical attacks and brought to the brink of destruction by the release of Minks into the wild, but some how they hung on and today they are thriving.
An amazing story of survival and I highly recommend it. I am going to have to read Ring of Bright Water soon to see how that compares.
My Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2017...
February 26, 2018
I would have to say that this book is basically historical fiction that involved otters instead of people. In order to relay an incredible amount of information about otters, Cooper followed one otter's life from the time it was a tiny little thing who realized its mother was not at the den and it had to make its way through a challenging life on its own. Everything you could ever want to know about otters.
June 2, 2025
I learned sooooo much and otters are not as cute as we think ;( but there were a lot of side pieces that kinda made the book boring at times but I like how it was written biography style
August 23, 2022
“After all these years I absorb the noises rather than hear them. The pounding rush of water through the millrace. The creaking turns of the water wheel, which has a habit of suddenly groaning as some obstruction halts it’s progress for a second, jumping forward as the force of the water moves it on again, the steel blades grinding against the wall as it momentarily gets out of kilter. The weirs tinkle away. The streams, all three of them, gurgle, cough and sigh.”
Touching and informative, this is a beautiful insight of both (roughly) a year in the life of Kuschta and her pups and the cyclical lives of other species living near the abandoned mill Cooper lives in. There’s a lovely blend of fact and fiction throughout and I left this account knowing substantially more about the living patterns of the Lutra Lutra.
Touching and informative, this is a beautiful insight of both (roughly) a year in the life of Kuschta and her pups and the cyclical lives of other species living near the abandoned mill Cooper lives in. There’s a lovely blend of fact and fiction throughout and I left this account knowing substantially more about the living patterns of the Lutra Lutra.
September 14, 2025
Dnf page 117/262
This book is well written, and I really enjoyed some of the storytelling here. I liked the set-up for the book, the descriptions of the landscape are lush, and rich with all kinds of flora and fauna. The author adds relevant historical details throughout, too, which I found fascinating. While I’m keen to learn more about these elusive creatures, I’m reluctant to continue their Tale by this author.
The main problem I have is with his account of the… otters. I meannn. Let me tell you more— I’m conflicted by his outlook and personal philosophy. I understand that nature can be brutal, but, I find his account and actions shamefully cruel at times. I’ve found sides to the author that I find repulsive. There’s more than a few passages that contain unnecessary and agonising detail in this regard. I had to stop after the chapter, ‘and then there were four’.
For me, it’s not about what it is, but how it’s told.
This book is well written, and I really enjoyed some of the storytelling here. I liked the set-up for the book, the descriptions of the landscape are lush, and rich with all kinds of flora and fauna. The author adds relevant historical details throughout, too, which I found fascinating. While I’m keen to learn more about these elusive creatures, I’m reluctant to continue their Tale by this author.
The main problem I have is with his account of the… otters. I meannn. Let me tell you more— I’m conflicted by his outlook and personal philosophy. I understand that nature can be brutal, but, I find his account and actions shamefully cruel at times. I’ve found sides to the author that I find repulsive. There’s more than a few passages that contain unnecessary and agonising detail in this regard. I had to stop after the chapter, ‘and then there were four’.
For me, it’s not about what it is, but how it’s told.
July 27, 2020
What a lovely endearing and insightful book!
Full of everything you ever wanted to know about otters, and an awful lot more!, this is a beautifully written book of the observations of Simon Cooper who was lucky enough to live so close to the otters when he bought an abandoned watermill. He watches the family flourish and has artistic licence with his imaginings of family life amongst the otters, and it's just charming! Watching the mother otter Kuschta, her behaviour and the way she raises the pups really gets you to understand their way of life.
I learnt so much from this book - how the otters have adapted to changes in their habitats over the years, the family dynamics and the dangers they face on a daily basis - none more so than now with human encroachment on the places they use to live and hunt.
This book left me with nothing but respect for these secretive but resilient creatures. The author and his magical descriptions of otter life were wonderful!
Full of everything you ever wanted to know about otters, and an awful lot more!, this is a beautifully written book of the observations of Simon Cooper who was lucky enough to live so close to the otters when he bought an abandoned watermill. He watches the family flourish and has artistic licence with his imaginings of family life amongst the otters, and it's just charming! Watching the mother otter Kuschta, her behaviour and the way she raises the pups really gets you to understand their way of life.
I learnt so much from this book - how the otters have adapted to changes in their habitats over the years, the family dynamics and the dangers they face on a daily basis - none more so than now with human encroachment on the places they use to live and hunt.
This book left me with nothing but respect for these secretive but resilient creatures. The author and his magical descriptions of otter life were wonderful!
August 17, 2018
This is one of those books that had me googling everything....maps, streetview, various animals described in the text in wikipedia, including Mustelidae because did you know there are so many related animals in this vast family? I have heard or seen or read about weasels, stoats, martens, minks, etc...but I never really picked up on the differences.
Go to google streetview and locate the village of Nether Wallop and even the author's house/water mill and you will envy the beauty of the countryside where the author lives.
I had to search for articles about the author because I wanted to know his story and why he is writing this excellent natural history of this family of otters that live in and near his home. I found two....
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/think...
https://forumpublications.co.uk/simon...
The author really needs to complete his biographical sketch here on Goodreads because his story is as interesting as his books.
I was immediately reminded of another natural history of the English countryside and forest, Richard Fortey's The Wood for the Trees: One Man's Long View of Nature. Apparently England has no lack of excellent writers who care about the history and ecology of their country.
So, the book is about otters...it is elegantly written by a man who both fishes and writes for a living and it was totally engrossing from cover to cover because you can tell that Simon Cooper has totally fallen in love with this family living near his water mill. You also learn quite a bit about the history of otters in England and otters themselves along the way.
Excellent book.
Go to google streetview and locate the village of Nether Wallop and even the author's house/water mill and you will envy the beauty of the countryside where the author lives.
I had to search for articles about the author because I wanted to know his story and why he is writing this excellent natural history of this family of otters that live in and near his home. I found two....
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/think...
https://forumpublications.co.uk/simon...
The author really needs to complete his biographical sketch here on Goodreads because his story is as interesting as his books.
I was immediately reminded of another natural history of the English countryside and forest, Richard Fortey's The Wood for the Trees: One Man's Long View of Nature. Apparently England has no lack of excellent writers who care about the history and ecology of their country.
So, the book is about otters...it is elegantly written by a man who both fishes and writes for a living and it was totally engrossing from cover to cover because you can tell that Simon Cooper has totally fallen in love with this family living near his water mill. You also learn quite a bit about the history of otters in England and otters themselves along the way.
Excellent book.
March 23, 2018
This was such a delightful read. Beforehand, I knew the author wrote it about the otters that live around the river by his Mill home, but that was all.
The book starts out with a fictional account of the otter Kuschta being abandoned by her mother and going in search of her own territory. The story goes on from there.
I love how fact and fiction are interwoven in this beautifully and realistically written book. The author has a way of describing the riverside and landscape throughout the seasons with all that lives and grows on it that brings it alive for me. I could see the river through the seasons, the plants, the animals, the sights and sounds.
Descriptions of otter behaviour delight, shock and surprise and I love how the otters depicted do stay true to their animal nature.
It truly is a wonderful way of telling the story of the otter’s story from birth to adulthood and the trials and tribulations that come with that.
I am still not quite sure whether to class this as fiction or non-fiction. It is a bit of both and I love it. If you are interested in the natural world, this is a gorgeous book and I would thoroughly recommend it.
The book starts out with a fictional account of the otter Kuschta being abandoned by her mother and going in search of her own territory. The story goes on from there.
I love how fact and fiction are interwoven in this beautifully and realistically written book. The author has a way of describing the riverside and landscape throughout the seasons with all that lives and grows on it that brings it alive for me. I could see the river through the seasons, the plants, the animals, the sights and sounds.
Descriptions of otter behaviour delight, shock and surprise and I love how the otters depicted do stay true to their animal nature.
It truly is a wonderful way of telling the story of the otter’s story from birth to adulthood and the trials and tribulations that come with that.
I am still not quite sure whether to class this as fiction or non-fiction. It is a bit of both and I love it. If you are interested in the natural world, this is a gorgeous book and I would thoroughly recommend it.
May 20, 2019
Overall I enjoyed this book because I learnt something new about otters. The idea of weaving a fictional story about an otter family together with factual and scientific information is a good one. However, I feel that the author tended to repeat a lot of information making the story feel drawn out. What was missing in the tale, I think, was more addition of the author himself in the story. WHY did he decide to buy and live in the old mill?
April 2, 2017
A fascinating and refreshingly unsentimental look at this little known and observed creature. When you think apex predators you naturally think lions, tigers and sharks not otters but these animals are the apex in the river system and they rule it with an iron paw, webbed toes and all.
August 28, 2021
A delightful read! Natural history, narrated in the form of an extraordinary tale. The author brings to life the wild side of the English countryside, its apex predator playing the protagonist.
The language is beautiful, almost poetic. And the book enlightens the reader about the elusive animal's life. A must read for everyone!
The language is beautiful, almost poetic. And the book enlightens the reader about the elusive animal's life. A must read for everyone!
May 18, 2025
The most beautiful book I’ve read in a long time. The perfect balance of immersive wildlife writing, with woven in details of zoology and conservation. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a calming read or who wants to content more with UK wildlife.
May 30, 2019
I came across this excellent book as an audiobook at the library. Very enjoyable. However I find it impossible to forgive the author for a certain matter you'll find out about during the pup rearing section. Completely unforgivable. Otherwise an extremely great listen.
April 29, 2020
Very well-written book about otters (my favorite animal) - a calm read! I have to admit I skipped/skimmed the few "sad" parts.
August 22, 2021
Delightful and informative!
September 14, 2024
I found this book via an Indie Bookshop in Frome, England called Sherlock & Pages. It's a tiny little shop specializing in nature, conservancy, history, and heritage. I absolutely love their mission, and they do the most amazing job curating their stock. I've purchased several books from them (including a few fiction selections), and I feel confident I am set with several lovely reads for autumn. I highly suggest you follow them on Instagram @sherlockandpages. The reason this book caught my eye is that otters have returned to Lake Martin, Alabama, and I thought it would be fun to read about them even though they aren't the same species as the English ones.
Simon Cooper kept me mesmerized throughout this book as he weaves the story of Kuschta and her pups within their chalkstream habitat. I found it fascinating reading about what it takes to keep an otter fed considering they don't have fat stores. They tend to be nocturnal, and they are very territorial. There are several lessons I learned I probably could've done without. I learned more than I care to know about their poop called "spraint." Spraint is not only about marking territory. Otters use spraint like we use newspapers, to learn about other otters in their environment including otters just passing through. I also learned how brutal a mama otter can be when nature necessitates that she ostracize one of her pups to the point of death. An otter's life is brutal, especially for the young males without a territory.
But in spite of the harshness of otter life, I enjoyed the book so much, especially Cooper's voice. I also enjoyed learning about the otters' habitat, the chalkstream. There are only 200 chalkstreams in the world, and almost all of them are in England. I also enjoyed reading about how Kuschta and her pups become a part of the rhythm of life for Simon and his family at their millhouse home. The narrative spans the seasons within a year, and the descriptions of the immediate area, the chalkstream, the fields, and the hedgerows are enchanting.
If you enjoy nature writing, I know you will love The Otters' Tale. Even if you aren't normally a nature reader, you might want to expand your horizons and read it anyway!
Simon Cooper kept me mesmerized throughout this book as he weaves the story of Kuschta and her pups within their chalkstream habitat. I found it fascinating reading about what it takes to keep an otter fed considering they don't have fat stores. They tend to be nocturnal, and they are very territorial. There are several lessons I learned I probably could've done without. I learned more than I care to know about their poop called "spraint." Spraint is not only about marking territory. Otters use spraint like we use newspapers, to learn about other otters in their environment including otters just passing through. I also learned how brutal a mama otter can be when nature necessitates that she ostracize one of her pups to the point of death. An otter's life is brutal, especially for the young males without a territory.
But in spite of the harshness of otter life, I enjoyed the book so much, especially Cooper's voice. I also enjoyed learning about the otters' habitat, the chalkstream. There are only 200 chalkstreams in the world, and almost all of them are in England. I also enjoyed reading about how Kuschta and her pups become a part of the rhythm of life for Simon and his family at their millhouse home. The narrative spans the seasons within a year, and the descriptions of the immediate area, the chalkstream, the fields, and the hedgerows are enchanting.
If you enjoy nature writing, I know you will love The Otters' Tale. Even if you aren't normally a nature reader, you might want to expand your horizons and read it anyway!
January 25, 2021
This was a very quaint, sweet book that intertwines the story of an otter’s life and the history of her species and the countryside around her.
I really enjoyed the way that information about the English countryside and other wildlife were interspersed throughout the story. It was such an interesting and engaging way to learn all of these facts about British wildlife, from rivers, to animals, to plants, whilst having the connecting thread of the story of Kuschta to guid us through. There were moments where I felt the information given became a little too detailed, or deviated too far away from the relevance to the otters, at which point the writing became a little bit of a slog to read. But, overall, I did like how the writing was done.
The story of Kuschta and her family was also tackled really nicely. The writing was very descriptive, and so gave us a clear idea of the settings and action that featured in the lives of the little family. Cooper also manages to walk the fine line of keeping me interested and invested in the lives of the otter family, but without breaking the illusion that these are wild creatures with animal instincts. His creation of little details about the family really got me invested in the story, and yet the otters were never personified to the point that I could forget that they were wild creatures. For example, reading about the family chirruping back and forth to each other as they travelled as a group, only for this to result in the gruesome descriptors of the animals tearing their prey apart.
Overall, this was a very educational and yet entertaining book about the lives of otters and other animals in the British countryside. Cooper’s writing magnificently blended interesting and engaging storytelling, with informed and detailed descriptions of facts about the otters and the place they call home.
I really enjoyed the way that information about the English countryside and other wildlife were interspersed throughout the story. It was such an interesting and engaging way to learn all of these facts about British wildlife, from rivers, to animals, to plants, whilst having the connecting thread of the story of Kuschta to guid us through. There were moments where I felt the information given became a little too detailed, or deviated too far away from the relevance to the otters, at which point the writing became a little bit of a slog to read. But, overall, I did like how the writing was done.
The story of Kuschta and her family was also tackled really nicely. The writing was very descriptive, and so gave us a clear idea of the settings and action that featured in the lives of the little family. Cooper also manages to walk the fine line of keeping me interested and invested in the lives of the otter family, but without breaking the illusion that these are wild creatures with animal instincts. His creation of little details about the family really got me invested in the story, and yet the otters were never personified to the point that I could forget that they were wild creatures. For example, reading about the family chirruping back and forth to each other as they travelled as a group, only for this to result in the gruesome descriptors of the animals tearing their prey apart.
Overall, this was a very educational and yet entertaining book about the lives of otters and other animals in the British countryside. Cooper’s writing magnificently blended interesting and engaging storytelling, with informed and detailed descriptions of facts about the otters and the place they call home.
April 22, 2024
In this fascinating book Simon Cooper tells his personal story about his observations of a family of otters. Although I was constantly reminded about Tarka in Henry Williamson’s book it did not spoil my enjoyment at all. I think I enjoyed this tale even more than Gavin Maxwell’s ‘Ring of Bright Water’ because the fine details that Cooper includes appeals to me more.
There is tragedy and delight in equal measure despite the odd touches of obvious fiction throughout the narrative. It is well written with some memorable descriptions of the waterside and the land surrounding the abandoned water mill where Cooper lived.
The author includes lots of details about the mother otter and her young, kits or pups, as they grow to become adults. Some of the facts he includes inform you about the stark reality facing the pups in terms of establishing themselves in a new territory. The competition for their prey, such as eels or crayfish, seems to be the main factor. I felt at times that there was an element of anthropomorphism when he was imagining some of the otters’ activities. Although this made me a little uncomfortable, as I usually feel it is a bit ‘twee’ when humans attach too much of our behaviour to other animals, I was also ready to forgive it in Cooper’s case. This was because his writing, about the perils that the otters have to face, was so effectively ‘otterly’ and from their point of view, it made good dramatic sense.
I have no hesitation in recommending this engaging and informative wild life book to anyone who loves nature or wants to find out more about this beautiful animal.
There is tragedy and delight in equal measure despite the odd touches of obvious fiction throughout the narrative. It is well written with some memorable descriptions of the waterside and the land surrounding the abandoned water mill where Cooper lived.
The author includes lots of details about the mother otter and her young, kits or pups, as they grow to become adults. Some of the facts he includes inform you about the stark reality facing the pups in terms of establishing themselves in a new territory. The competition for their prey, such as eels or crayfish, seems to be the main factor. I felt at times that there was an element of anthropomorphism when he was imagining some of the otters’ activities. Although this made me a little uncomfortable, as I usually feel it is a bit ‘twee’ when humans attach too much of our behaviour to other animals, I was also ready to forgive it in Cooper’s case. This was because his writing, about the perils that the otters have to face, was so effectively ‘otterly’ and from their point of view, it made good dramatic sense.
I have no hesitation in recommending this engaging and informative wild life book to anyone who loves nature or wants to find out more about this beautiful animal.
July 18, 2018
‘The Otters’ Tale’ is an insightful look into one of Britain’s most elusive apex predators: the European river otter. In his personal account, Cooper tells of his time living in close proximity to otters in southern England. Coloured with anecdotes, academic research and plenty of otter history, this is a good read for those who want to know more about the semi-aquatic mammals.
The book itself isn’t the easiest of reads. Cooper’s language leans more towards the academic than prosaic; and at times he can be repetitive, going over old ground that he covered several chapters earlier. But he is not an author by trade; and it is worth finding a way through the dense text for a first hand account of these mysterious river dwellers.
It’s an interesting read for anyone with a specific interest in otters, or wildlife in general. Cooper pulls no punches though; describing in crystal clear, visceral detail every hunt, meal and fight on his otters’ journey. He also delves into the more emotional aspects of a harsh natural world, giving first hand accounts of abandonment and the Darwinian mindset that otters - like most wild animals - must live by. So if you’re squeamish, or if you have a picturesque idea of the otter family unit, perhaps steer clear of this one!
The book itself isn’t the easiest of reads. Cooper’s language leans more towards the academic than prosaic; and at times he can be repetitive, going over old ground that he covered several chapters earlier. But he is not an author by trade; and it is worth finding a way through the dense text for a first hand account of these mysterious river dwellers.
It’s an interesting read for anyone with a specific interest in otters, or wildlife in general. Cooper pulls no punches though; describing in crystal clear, visceral detail every hunt, meal and fight on his otters’ journey. He also delves into the more emotional aspects of a harsh natural world, giving first hand accounts of abandonment and the Darwinian mindset that otters - like most wild animals - must live by. So if you’re squeamish, or if you have a picturesque idea of the otter family unit, perhaps steer clear of this one!
April 16, 2023
I am utterly fascinated by otters and so when I saw Cooper's book on a shelf, I had to pick it up. The fact that it was shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize didn't hurt any. There was a lot about this that I really appreciated - the beautiful writing, the exploration of not just the natural science elements of an otter's life, but also some info on the environmental and historical background of the otters in the UK. Cooper moved into an old mill and found himself living on the periphery of a family of wild otters. This spurred his interest and the book is set up to look at the otters' lives over the course of the year - their relationships, the search for food and shelter, and the impact of environmental shifts due to the time of year. So much of this was fascinating reading. There was, though, a significant element of the structure that didn't work for me - to tell the non-fiction part of this account, he anthromorphized the otters and other animals in the book. He doesn't know what the otters are thinking, doesn't know what the fish are thinking - and to write like he does detracts from what is already an intriguing work. I started this on audio and this constant referral to the otters' thoughts and feelings was just distracting and I switched to a print copy of the book.
October 10, 2025
Simon Cooper is the fortunate owner of an old water mill, at least one trout lake and... a family of otters!
I've long been fascinated by otters while never managing to see one in the wild or knowing a huge amount about them. Now, I know a lot more and my vision of them is a lot less romantic!
That said, Mr Cooper conveys a lot of extremely interesting information about otters and the nature and wildlife they interact with in a generally engaging fashion.
The element of this book that I struggled most with was the naming of the otters and the narrative of what they were doing at various point. I've a strong suspicion that much of this was built upon the relatively scarce evidence and sightings that Simon Cooper was lucky enough to have. I found the mix of fact and fiction rather difficult at points.
Anyway, turns out otters are loving but also absolutely stone cold heartless, beautiful but also killing machines and generally just like no other animal.
I've long been fascinated by otters while never managing to see one in the wild or knowing a huge amount about them. Now, I know a lot more and my vision of them is a lot less romantic!
That said, Mr Cooper conveys a lot of extremely interesting information about otters and the nature and wildlife they interact with in a generally engaging fashion.
The element of this book that I struggled most with was the naming of the otters and the narrative of what they were doing at various point. I've a strong suspicion that much of this was built upon the relatively scarce evidence and sightings that Simon Cooper was lucky enough to have. I found the mix of fact and fiction rather difficult at points.
Anyway, turns out otters are loving but also absolutely stone cold heartless, beautiful but also killing machines and generally just like no other animal.
June 24, 2018
The Otter's Tale is a heart-warming insight into the modern lives of a family of west-county offers. Simon Cooper, after renovating a water mill in the biding waterway of Wallop Brook, begins to notice that he is not the only one fishing the chalk-streams, or even the freshly-stocked trout ponds of his fishery. A female otter has set up home with her four new cubs. Cooper tells the tale from the otter's point of view, only occasionally adding his human field notes to back the story up.
Unapologetically anthropomorphic and almost lover-letter-like in its adopting of the Tarka the otter style of narrative, this is a beautiful book to read and spend time with. Nature is representing in raw, yet thoughtful form, and the unique behaviour of otters is widely explored. This book brought me great pleasure and gave me hope for one of the nation's most loved and least seen creatures.
Unapologetically anthropomorphic and almost lover-letter-like in its adopting of the Tarka the otter style of narrative, this is a beautiful book to read and spend time with. Nature is representing in raw, yet thoughtful form, and the unique behaviour of otters is widely explored. This book brought me great pleasure and gave me hope for one of the nation's most loved and least seen creatures.
August 10, 2018
At first I found it odd that the book began with a narrative of the life of a particular otter, Kutcha, as the events described were ones that the author probably wasn't witness to. This made sense to do it this way though as it added empathy to the story by weaving natural history through the story of one otter and her cubs. Otter's lives are more brutal and unforgiving than their cuddly appearance betrays (the fact that one of the otter's litter is abandoned to starve to death in particular) but this is often how the natural world works. I did feel quite envious of the authors regular visitations by otters as I have never had the opportunity to see one in the wild.
April 7, 2019
Cooper lives in an old mill in southern England. His job is teaching fly fishing. His trout pond attracts a local female otter to choose his property as her territory. He observes the life of the female, that he calls Kuschta as she mates with the local male otter and gives birth to four pups. Some of the narrative is clearly imagined as he describes activities that he cannot have observed firsthand as when describing Kuschta's journey from her mother's home territory to Cooper's river valley. He describes how otters came back in the U.K. from near extinction and talks about their typical prey and the landscape. A really good natural history read.
December 1, 2025
I would happily have read a textbook, or a scientific report, on otters.
I would also have happily read a novel imagining the inner life of an otter in a sensitive and personalised way.
This is neither.
The transition between a fictional story told about an otter, presented with the same grammar and tone as the rest of the story, suggesting direct observation (for a while, I wondered if he was suggesting he had a camera in the locations), without as much as a paragraph break in between, to occasional observations of a real otter this might have happened to, and general facts on otter history, is awkward. We don't stay in the authors head, with him documenting his thoughts and reflections about the observations, nor can we suspend disbelief to follow a fictional story, so it is hard to tell what is real or not, what he saw and what he didn't.
The things that are real tended to annoy me at best, at worst, deeply upset me. E.g. every time the author hears the otter feeding, he approaches her, which startles her and has her drop the fish and run off. This evidently causes her stress and wastes fish, and the author learns nothing in the process. Why not give her peace?
Even worse than that, the otter has five young, far more than the usual two or three. She ultimately abandons one of them when she cannot keep up with feeding. One of the biggest, a perfectly healthy animal that has already learned how to hunt, but is not yet able to hunt enough to feed itself sufficiently without help. And the author watches it slowly starve to death while screaming, even though the animal actively approaches him for help, and even though otters are critically endangered. It seems extremely plausible that he could have taken it in, fed it, and handed it to a wildlife sanctuary to finish raising it with limited human contact for later release. I cannot comprehend why he did not.
This is all the more uncomfortable because his imagining of the inner life of the otter is at times so anthropomorphic it is uncomfortable, at other times insensitive, but never true to the fact that this is genuinely another mind. Like, it is fascinating that this is an animal that will stay with its young day in day out for over a year, then abandon them and return to complete solitude. That transition as something that is intensely felt but ultimately natural and finding its own rightness could have been beautifully written, or its riddle explored as unknowable, but it isn't.
A multipage scene in detail describing very aggressive otter sex with bloody wounds and attempts to escape it and screams are also odd - we don't get a naturalists detachment, or a feminist exploration, but just something odd and uncomfortable.
The positioning of the male harem keeping otter as a protector and overseer graciously granting the female much younger otter time is just a really uncomfortable framing. This talk of alpha males, of describing the females arousal... it reminds me of very old nature documentaries, where you get a human cultural male gaze on nature that leads to all sorts of strange projections on what the animals are thinking that tells you far more about the author than the animals in question, but is never reflected as such. We are told the male otter is the protector, when the two don't interact at all outside of the few days of mating, these otters are apex predators in the region, males tolerate females, females don't fight, males actually sometimes attack the young, and their primary cause of mortality is getting run over by cars - so what the heck is he protecting her from?
In such strong contrast to much better works like "Watership down" which genuinely engage with non-human animal lives and their horror with empathy and respect and imagination while making it clear that they are fictional accounts in which the authors process trauma, or like "H is for hawk" in which the authors observations vs reflections are clearly delineated.
I just felt such a strong disconnect from the author, how he views nature and others. When he states how impossible it is to imagine sentience in crawfish (research suggests he is wrong), or reflects on how beautiful the monoculture plantings that have replaced the original wildlands are, or calls a wild area that is a perfect otter habitat "the badlands".
The book made me like otters less. It told me they are prone to familial cannibalism, while giving me no context as to why they engage in this - what causes it, what function does it serve? A quick google suggests severe resource scarcity from overfishing and global warming may play a role, why does the author not mention this? It is also mentioned how many fish they take, without mentioning that they tend to catch the slow and weak ones, which combined with the changing locations and marking them means they add to the health of the fish population rather than depleting it. In many scenes, they are depicted as either stupid or bereft of empathy, in a rather arrogant way.
Meanwhile, many wonderful facts about them are not mentioned - like the fact that they engage in play behaviours. The Wiki article on otters already holds more wonderful mysteries and useful info that this book did, e.g. on terminology and mythology.
And some facts appear to be wrong? E.g. stating that they can delay the development of their embryos for months - that is true for Lontra canadensis, not Lutra lutra?
At times, the book could really have done with editing - there are many repetitions, e.g. on how otters eat fish, or on the crayfish populations, or comments that simply seem to be in the wrong order.
Do not recommend.
I would also have happily read a novel imagining the inner life of an otter in a sensitive and personalised way.
This is neither.
The transition between a fictional story told about an otter, presented with the same grammar and tone as the rest of the story, suggesting direct observation (for a while, I wondered if he was suggesting he had a camera in the locations), without as much as a paragraph break in between, to occasional observations of a real otter this might have happened to, and general facts on otter history, is awkward. We don't stay in the authors head, with him documenting his thoughts and reflections about the observations, nor can we suspend disbelief to follow a fictional story, so it is hard to tell what is real or not, what he saw and what he didn't.
The things that are real tended to annoy me at best, at worst, deeply upset me. E.g. every time the author hears the otter feeding, he approaches her, which startles her and has her drop the fish and run off. This evidently causes her stress and wastes fish, and the author learns nothing in the process. Why not give her peace?
Even worse than that, the otter has five young, far more than the usual two or three. She ultimately abandons one of them when she cannot keep up with feeding. One of the biggest, a perfectly healthy animal that has already learned how to hunt, but is not yet able to hunt enough to feed itself sufficiently without help. And the author watches it slowly starve to death while screaming, even though the animal actively approaches him for help, and even though otters are critically endangered. It seems extremely plausible that he could have taken it in, fed it, and handed it to a wildlife sanctuary to finish raising it with limited human contact for later release. I cannot comprehend why he did not.
This is all the more uncomfortable because his imagining of the inner life of the otter is at times so anthropomorphic it is uncomfortable, at other times insensitive, but never true to the fact that this is genuinely another mind. Like, it is fascinating that this is an animal that will stay with its young day in day out for over a year, then abandon them and return to complete solitude. That transition as something that is intensely felt but ultimately natural and finding its own rightness could have been beautifully written, or its riddle explored as unknowable, but it isn't.
A multipage scene in detail describing very aggressive otter sex with bloody wounds and attempts to escape it and screams are also odd - we don't get a naturalists detachment, or a feminist exploration, but just something odd and uncomfortable.
The positioning of the male harem keeping otter as a protector and overseer graciously granting the female much younger otter time is just a really uncomfortable framing. This talk of alpha males, of describing the females arousal... it reminds me of very old nature documentaries, where you get a human cultural male gaze on nature that leads to all sorts of strange projections on what the animals are thinking that tells you far more about the author than the animals in question, but is never reflected as such. We are told the male otter is the protector, when the two don't interact at all outside of the few days of mating, these otters are apex predators in the region, males tolerate females, females don't fight, males actually sometimes attack the young, and their primary cause of mortality is getting run over by cars - so what the heck is he protecting her from?
In such strong contrast to much better works like "Watership down" which genuinely engage with non-human animal lives and their horror with empathy and respect and imagination while making it clear that they are fictional accounts in which the authors process trauma, or like "H is for hawk" in which the authors observations vs reflections are clearly delineated.
I just felt such a strong disconnect from the author, how he views nature and others. When he states how impossible it is to imagine sentience in crawfish (research suggests he is wrong), or reflects on how beautiful the monoculture plantings that have replaced the original wildlands are, or calls a wild area that is a perfect otter habitat "the badlands".
The book made me like otters less. It told me they are prone to familial cannibalism, while giving me no context as to why they engage in this - what causes it, what function does it serve? A quick google suggests severe resource scarcity from overfishing and global warming may play a role, why does the author not mention this? It is also mentioned how many fish they take, without mentioning that they tend to catch the slow and weak ones, which combined with the changing locations and marking them means they add to the health of the fish population rather than depleting it. In many scenes, they are depicted as either stupid or bereft of empathy, in a rather arrogant way.
Meanwhile, many wonderful facts about them are not mentioned - like the fact that they engage in play behaviours. The Wiki article on otters already holds more wonderful mysteries and useful info that this book did, e.g. on terminology and mythology.
And some facts appear to be wrong? E.g. stating that they can delay the development of their embryos for months - that is true for Lontra canadensis, not Lutra lutra?
At times, the book could really have done with editing - there are many repetitions, e.g. on how otters eat fish, or on the crayfish populations, or comments that simply seem to be in the wrong order.
Do not recommend.
Read
May 28, 2021DNF, got bored.
The topic, for me, is just mildly interesting; he takes a while to say what he says; the two together just made me more and more reluctant to pick up where I'd left off.
I enjoyed the personal bits about his encounters with otters, and most of the story about Kuschta's life. He goes really in depth about what the life of otters in general is like, the history of otters in England, that sort of thing. He's obviously passionate about otters, and I respect that. I'm just not his audience.
The topic, for me, is just mildly interesting; he takes a while to say what he says; the two together just made me more and more reluctant to pick up where I'd left off.
I enjoyed the personal bits about his encounters with otters, and most of the story about Kuschta's life. He goes really in depth about what the life of otters in general is like, the history of otters in England, that sort of thing. He's obviously passionate about otters, and I respect that. I'm just not his audience.
February 9, 2024
This was, as opposed to other books on otters that I have read so far, highly informative in a more narrative documentary style. Although the focus was mainly on the female otter Kuschta, I appreciated the historical notes on the endurance of the European Otter species as well as their larger role in the ecosystem. Something about the style made the information easier to digest than say, a rote scientific publication or field guide which states bare facts and statistics.
This is something in which I may go back to in audiobook form, I got the impression the format would be very fitting.
This is something in which I may go back to in audiobook form, I got the impression the format would be very fitting.
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