A wild otter – the first seen in Switzerland for more than 20 years – has been captured by wildlife officers in the canton of Fribourg.

DNA tests are now being carried out to see whether the young male is the offspring of a pair that escaped from Bern Zoo four years ago – or from another pair released illegally near Lake Neuchâtel the same year.

Wildlife officers say it’s also possible the otter may have journeyed from a neighbouring country.

Otter populations have been growing in France and Austria – and last year a study by a Swiss wildlife association said it was only a matter of time before otters returned.