Otter pontoons have been installed under a railway bridge that leads to Ribe across the Tved River. This is reported by Railway Supply magazine with reference to the Railway Gazette.

otter bridge

Infrastructure manager Banedanmark said that while the protected mammals are good swimmers, they do not like to swim under bridges and instead choose the more dangerous route overland across the railway tracks. However, they are happy to walk on the hard pavement under the bridge, so a 10m pontoon bridge has been installed for them to cross the railway without leaving the riverbed.

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“The otters now have a safe bypass route, preventing them from being hit by a moving train,” said Banedanmark’s biodiversity project manager. “We are very happy about this. We have to take care of the animals that live in the areas where the railway passes.”

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