I hope you will not find this question 'otter' than most.

[JonnyBoy12]

I am asking this question on behalf of a good friend so hope you will not think this is one of my silly ones. A friend of mine has a large outdoor pond which had the best part of 100 fish in it, some of them very large. We think that an otter has eaten them all but do not know if it had chips with them.

Can any of you tell me (and my friend) the best way to keep otters away? Is there such a thing as otter repellant or could you just put a metal grid all the way across the top of the pond?

I thank you for your kind and ever helpful answers.

[MichaelZZ]

Depending where in the country you are I suppose it could be an otter. Where I am, even though the rivers are much cleaner than they were we still don't get otters. What we do get though are herons who have voracious appetites for ornamental and expensive fish. One of my neighbours asked the chap at the Garden / Aquatic Centre where he bought the fish how he could deter the heron (short of arming himself with a catapult / machine gun). The bloke suggested a plastic heron - which of course were in stock at the aforementioned Garden / Aquatic Centre. This actually worked.
I don't know if plastic otters are available or if they would deter a hungry otter.
Just a thought!

[rowanwitch]

mesh the pond but it would need to be a fairly fine gauge... and very well secured probably buried int the ground as well or they will just dig under it.

[cecil39]

could it even be a mink? we had some not far from us and folk swear that they were taking fish from ponds, not convinced about that though, the most likely is heron, could be more than one.

[tenrec]

Do you live near a river that is known to have otters? If not it is more likely to be heron, or mink.

[Manjo]

My uncle had his raided by herons and put a net over it and a plastic heron
at the side

[tamborine]

we have otters in Thames, my dog chases them off our land

[JonnyBoy12]

Thanks for your kind answers, folks. Can you lend me your dog on permanent loan, tamborine, please?