Otter-Pfad Hankensbüttel

The Hankensbüttel Otter Trail is around three kilometers long and starts at the Otter Centre. It connects the nature experience center with the town of Hankensbüttel and includes a hike through the "Hagen" forest and the nature experience bridge. A total of ten nature experience stations invite visitors to explore the lake habitat. For example, you can find out how an otter feels in its hiding place in an oversized reedbed. Or visitors to the bridge can go to the "stork's nest", three meters above the surface of the water, and use a telescope to observe the behaviour of the white storks breeding within sight. Small animals can be netted on an observation platform. Two rotating disks with small drawings of the animals reveal which organism is involved. Wobble zones, a water feeling point and animal peepers complete the extraordinary offer. The bridge is accessible all year round and is designated as a public path. A total of four otter trails invite visitors to experience the landscape from an otter's perspective. The otter is a very rare and secretive animal. It reacts very sensitively to changes in its habitat. In other words, if streams, rivers, ponds and lakes are in a good ecological condition, they will sooner or later be colonized by otters as habitats. The otter has returned to the lowlands of the Ise, a small river in the district of Gifhorn, thanks to extensive nature conservation measures. Wild otters and their tracks have even been seen near the Otter Center in Hankensbüttel. The otter trails lead into these areas to raise awareness of otter habitats. A total of 24 stations with steel otters invite visitors to learn about the life of the water otter and nature conservation directly on site. Further information on the otter trails and an accompanying brochure are available from the Otter Center.