TOBIN Ecologists have undertaken protected mammal surveys in counties Tipperary, Offaly, Kildare and Dublin as part of Uisce Éireann Irish Water, Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region.
The Wildlife Act 1976 (as amended), is the national legislation in Ireland for the protection of wildlife, including Badger (Meles meles) and Otter (Lutra lutra). Otters are also protected under European law through the EU Habitats Directive (Annex II & IV). The Annex II listing requires member states to designate Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) for the protection of the species. There are 44 SACs designated for Otter in Ireland.
Otters are semi-aquatic species with threats and pressures to these species including river corridor management such as culverts, canalisation, and dredging, as well as impacts from pollution, oil spillages, and road traffic. Under license from the National Parks and Wildlife Services, TOBIN Ecologists have undertaken surveys to search for signs of Otter. Searches have taken place in suitable Otter habitats such as along rivers, streams, and drainage ditches looking for signs such as holts, spraints, and prints.
Badger typically resides in woodlands, and beneath hedgerows and treelines, often beside agricultural land. These nocturnal mammals spend most of their day in their setts and emerge at dusk to forage and commute. During protected mammal surveys, TOBIN Ecologists searched for evidence of badgers including prints, setts, scat, and snuffle holes.
These examples of TOBIN protected mammal surveys undertaken for the Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region, will be used to provide baseline data on the current state of environment, and will inform the ecological impact assessment as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the project.
