From the Guardian, almost exactly one year ago:
"When more than 100 frogs and toads were discovered with their hind legs ripped off on a Scottish estate it seemed a clear case of animal cruelty, prompting fears of a black market in the French delicacy.
A police investigation was launched and the public warned that eating the legs could make them sick. The mass mutilation was found at a pond on the Monymusk estate in Aberdeenshire.
But detective work by the local wildlife crime officer has found that
the most likely culprit does have a taste for frogs' legs but cannot be prosecuted because it is an otter.
"Initially we were looking at a potential act of cruelty," said PC David MacKinnon of Grampian police.
"We thought maybe some kids had gone out there and were mucking about."
But as reports came in of other similar incidents at other ponds in the area which are known otter habitats, PC MacKinnon contacted experts who confirmed that otters were likely to have been responsible.
About 115 mature toads and frogs had been found by an estate worker in a pond on the Monymusk estate earlier in the week, some on the bank and some in the water.
All had their rear legs ripped off. "Apparently it is not uncommon for otters to remove the back legs of toads," said PC MacKinnon.
"Toads have poisonous glands in their skin so they will remove the leg to eat or will skin the toad. They can eat up to 1.5kg [3.3lb] a day," he said.
"It is a choice time of year for toads. They go to certain ponds for breeding.
"It is just opportunistic feeding by the otter. It is not overly common for these mass killings to happen. It would just be a feeding frenzy. They would gorge themselves.
"It is a natural thing," he added. "The otter is just going about its business."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1191319,00.html
maximus "no relation" otter