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

Volume 21 Issue 2 Pages Pages 60 - 101 (January 2005)

IUCN/SCC OSG Group

Previous | Contents | Next

The Section from the chairman's desk is empty this time! While Claus had agreed to send me his contribution around New Year I was shocked like many of you when I heard about Claus death! After some considerations I asked Addy to write about Claus.

In Memoriam Claus Reuther

Claus at the XIth International Otter Colloquium (click for larger version)

Like all of you, I was deeply shocked about Claus Reuther's death. Most of you know that Claus and I had a peculiar relationship. I have not been easy for him, neither has he been for me. Nevertheless, behind the scenes we have always had a lot of respect for each other! Because of this deep respect for all he accomplished and to give our support for the people he left behind, my wife and I attended his funeral.

During the funeral the president of Aktion Fischotterschutz, prof dr. Willfried Janssen, memorized Claus' remarkable achievements and being in a very touching way. Still, at that very moment, it was hard to believe that his death is reality.

I have known Claus already a long time. I met him for the first time in Oderhaus (Harz) as a biology student (1983). We discussed research about the locomotion of otters. Soon after this I started to work as a student for Hans Kruuk. In the years after, Claus, his wife Biggi and I met each over and over again in many corners of this beautiful planet. During an Italian meeting Claus, Biggi and I went to several restaurants together, having a nice time. In Chili, while we as husbands were busy with the otter work, Biggi and my wife Lena became friends and enjoyed the Chilean surroundings of Valdivia.

When Claus opened his wonderful Otterzentrum in Hankensbüttel I was there to congratulate him and his staff. When we opened our Otterpark in Leeuwarden Claus was there to return the favour. He also helped us preparing the wonderful combined IUCN OSG and Council of Europe Otter meeting we hosted a few months after we opened our park (1994). Later on we strongly disagreed about the oncoming reintroduction of the otter in the Netherlands. About that we have written down our views in the Otter Specialist Bulletin. There were some more strong clashes between us, but the respect remained.

Striking examples of the achievements of Claus and his staff are the Ise and OHNE project. The Ise is a small river near the Otterzentrum in Hankensbüttel. Decades ago it was like a sterile canal without otters, but because of the work of Claus and his companions, it is now a beautiful little river with an abundance of natural values and nowadays otters too!

OHNE is the project, which has a practical approach to realise a (wet) ecological infrastructure throughout Europe. In the German State of Niedersachsen Claus has accomplished a lot within this project. Modern tools like GIS and spatial planning have been utilised for this project. His staff will continue this project.

I should not forget the good job Claus and his former colleague Bärbel Rogoschik have done with respect to keeping otters in captivity. Before they started only Philip Wayre was capable to keep Eurasian otters in a proper way. Claus and Bärbel provided a lot of good information over the years, which made it possible for others too to keep and breed Lutra lutra in a sound way. The information they provided is an important basis for the present EEP Husbandry Guidelines for Lutra lutra .

In the last years of his life Claus did a lot of work for the Otter Specialist Group on his own expenses. He flew everywhere around the globe. He wanted to see all of the otter species inhabiting this planet. He almost succeeded. He helped where he could, but was sometimes too fast in his actions. When IOSF heard there could be a new otter species in the west of Africa, he got to know this, went there without deliberation and tried to find it. This issue and others too led to some serious problems between him and other OSG members.

I want to thank you, Claus Reuther, for all you did for the otters of the world, for wetland protection and for the many people you have helped and guided.

Addy de Jongh, director Dutch Otterstation Foundation

Previous | Contents | Next