‘The Otter Cheek’: Otter Steals £100,000 Worth of Koi Carp From Hotel Ponds

An otter has been “racking up quite a bill” at a hotel in Chester, UK, having helped itself to dozens of koi carp from ponds in the grounds of the Grosvenor Pulford Hotel and Spa.The value of the otter’s nocturnal takeaways is a “whopping £100,000,” according to the hotel.Footage released by the hotel shows the suspect in action, diving into the hotel’s pond and emerging with a large fish.“This gutsy guy has been helping himself to the koi carp who call our grounds home, with around 30 koi plucked from the Asian Sensory Garden pond and a further 20 from our other pond. The otter cheek of it!” the hotel wrote on Facebook.Andrew Nelson, director of Nelson Hotels and Inns, which owns the Grosvenor, said: “With around £100K worth of koi now lost, we are trying to find a solution to prevent any further loss. Our colorful carp are not only eye-catching habitants of our garden, who have enjoyed a happy home on our grounds undisturbed for many years, but a substantial investment into our venue.”The suspected otter remains on the loose, the hotel said. Credit: Grosvenor Pulford Hotel and Spa via Storyful