The surprise appearance of an Otter close to Manchester city centre is 'a big deal', according to an expert.
A photograph of the otter in the River Irwell, at Adelphi Weir, Salford, has circulated on social media in the last couple of days.
While some people are happy to see the animal in the river, others have expressed concerns that it will have a negative impact on other animals in the area.
Mike Duddy, a project manager at Mersey Rivers Trust, understands both arguments.
"Otters are good or bad depending on how you look at them," he said.
"Some people are absolutely delighted to see them because they represent definitive proof that our waterways are in full recovery mode.
"There are people who won't be happy because they are an absolutely rapacious predator. They eat fish, ducklings, little birds, and ground nesting mammals.
"I personally think it's brilliant. It's part of nature."
The photograph was taken by Salford Council worker Peter Openshaw and Mr Duddy believes that the appearance of the mammal has an added level of significance due to the area it was spotted.
He added: "In Salford and so close to the centre of Manchester, it's a big deal. They've never been photographed or recorded there previously.
"We've seen mink before and people get the two confused but that picture was the best photo and definitive proof that otters have returned to central Salford.
"Around Greater Manchester, we have no doubts otters exist but they've never been recorded properly in the centre of Manchester or Salford."
Mr Duddy believes that it is also a testament to the hard work that has been done on improving the rivers in Greater Manchester since the 1970s.
He continued: "If someone saw a stickleback (fish) in the Irwell or Manchester Ship Canal in the 1970s, it would have made the Manchester Evening News because the waters were so polluted.
"Over the last 40 years there's been a huge effort by so many people to improve the waterways of Greater Manchester and it's only really in the last 10 years that real improvements have taken place.
"Now there's fish in almost every river in Greater Manchester."
