IUCN/SCC Otter Specialist Group Bulletin
IUCN/SCC Otter Specialist Group

Volume 18 Issue 2 Pages 54 - 101 (October 2001)

Abstracts

Tracks and Other Signs of the Hairy-Nosed Otter (Lutra sumatrana)
Pages 57 - 63 (Report)
Kanchanasaka Budsabong
Abstract
The hairy nosed otter (Lutra sumatrana), an endemic species and the most rare otter species in Asia, has been rediscovered again in southern Thailand, after many years with no reliable information. Their main habitat appears to lie in two types of swamp forest; pure stands of Melaluca cajeputi, and evergreen swamp forest composed of a three-story formation of climax vegetation with a continuous crown canopy. Within the overall hairy nosed otter survey, indirect observations, such as tracks, faeces, and characteristic spraint sites, were collected to obtain more information on the ecological requirements of this species. Spraint composition was also analysed to compare its diet with other otters.
Contents | Full Text + Links | PDF (325 K)

New Information about the Hairy-Nosed Otter (Lutra sumatrana) in Vietnam 
Pages 64 - 75 (Report)
Nguyen Xuan Dang, Pham Trong Anh and Le Hong Tuyen
Abstract
The Hairy-nosed Otter (Lutra sumatrana) is regarded by the IUCN Otter Specialist Group as one of the five species of otter in greatest need of conservation. They are restricted to only a few locations in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. In Vietnam, the first research on the species was done in 1925, but between then and their rediscovery in 2000, there were only five sightings in all. This is a sign of the rarity of the species in the country. The authors carried out two otter surveys (March and November) in Vietnam's Mekong Delta in 2000, and a surviving hairy-nosed otter population was found in the U Minh Thuong Nature Reserve, Kien Giang Province. Their population is threatened by habitat destruction, natural disasters and disturbance.
Contents | Full Text + Links | PDF (183 K)

Giant Otter Project in Peru - Field Trip and Activity Report - 2000
Pages 76 - 85 (Report)
Jessica Groenendijk, Frank Hajek, Sandra Isola and Christof Schenk
Abstract:
The extension of the Bahuaja Sonene National Park and the creation of the Tambopata National Reserve in 2000 are great steps forward in the conservation of the River Wolf. We argue for the inclusion of Lake Sandoval, the Palma Real river and parts of the Malinousqui river in the National Reserve. The establishment of four new Reserved Zones in Amazonia (8,300,00 hectares) offers great potential for conserving the species. INRENA requested a survey of the Gueppi Reserved Zone - no otters or sign were found but there were some nearby. Updates for the usual areas are presented. We gave advice to tourism companies in the area and designed a scheme for monitoring giant otters and tourism in Tres Chimbadas lake. We observed one of the families of giant otters in Palma Real raising a family, cooperated with the ichthyology department of the San Marcos Museum of Natural History in dietary studies, and began looking at the relationship between the giant otter and the neotropical otter that shares its habitat. Two volumes of the "Friends of the River Wolf" bulletin were issued in July and December, sent to about 130 scientists and other interested people. A pamphlet "Help protect the Forest Giant" was printed and 12,000 copies distributed to schools, companies and tourists in the Protected Areas. 
Contents | Full Text + Links | PDF (138 K)

Distribution of the Neotropical Otter Lontra longicaudis in the Venezuelan Andes: Habitat and Status of its Population 
Pages 86 - 92 (Report)
Ildemaro González and Antonio Utrera
Abstract:
The current distribution and status of Lontra longicaudis annectens on the Southern slope of the Venezuelan Andes was established by carrying out interviews with local people. Following this, 25 rivers were surveyed for direct evidence of the presence of this species. The species was recorded on 23 of these rivers, and a clear decreasing trend in the species' population was detected. Based on these results, the main threats for the species appear to be reduction of their natural habitat and the contamination of watercourses, with illegal poaching of secondary importance. It is suggested that more detailed studies are carried out to quantify species' abundance, identify more precisely the potential factors determining population decrease, and detect optimal sites for its protection.
Contents | Full Text + Links | PDF (134 K)

Return to Contents