Otters cause damage to new cars in Hanko Port – up to 200,000 euros in damage
A strange phenomenon is plaguing Hanko's Tulliniemi Port.
Otters have caused 200,000 euros in damage to cars in the port. This is evident from an application made to the Finnish Wildlife Centre, in which a company operating in the port has applied for an exemption permit to catch up to three otters.
According to the application, the otters have entered the engine compartment of cars, where they have torn insulation and left behind feces and natural materials.
The damage caused by otters in Hanko was first reported by Maaseudun Tulevaisuus. According to the newspaper, otters have already damaged 25 new cars in Hanko Port.
Laura Fontell-Seppelin, game planner at the Finnish Wildlife Centre, considers the otters' behavior exceptional. She does not know why the otters have taken a liking to cars.
“It is a mystery,” Fontell-Seppelin tells Yle.
A game planner is wondering if there could be something nice-smelling in the insulation of cars, such as a saturating agent, that would attract otters.
An otter's diet usually includes fish, not cars.
Saukot ovat aiheuttaneet mittavia vahinkoja autoille, joita varastoidaan Tulliniemessä Hangossa.
yle.fi