IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Group Bulletin
©IUCN/SCC Otter Specialist Group
Volume 37 Issue 1 (January 2020)
OSG Group Members News
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New Members of OSG
Since the last issue, we have welcomed 10 new members to the OSG, and welcomed back a former member: you can read more about them on the Members-Only pages.
Zahid Amin, Bangladesh: I have been working with smooth-coated and Eurasian otters for four years on various projects. We are currently working to develop animated cartoons in Bangla to generate awareness of otters, as well as monitoring otter status, population and threats in 10 regions of Bangladesh.
Ruchi Badola, India: I am a Professor, and head of the Department of Ecodevelopment Planning & Participatory Management at the Wildlife Institute of India. My interests are in the human dimension in conservation, ecological economics and gender issues in natural resource management.
Jessa Belle Garibay, Phillippines: I am the Co-Executive Director and Co-Founder of Centre for Sustainability PH, a women-led, youth, environmental non-profit here in Palawan, The Philippines. Our mission is to conserve Palawan's last remaining virgin forests through the legal establishment of protected areas thereby securing resources and habitats for both humans and wildlife. Our biggest achievement so far has been the legal establishment of Cleopatra’s Needle Critical Habitat (CNCH), now the Philippines’ biggest Critical Habitat, representing 41,350 hectares of virgin forest. Cleopatra’s Needle is the highest peak and largest drainage basin of our City, the ancestral domain of the last 200 members of the disappearing Batak tribe, and home to countless endemic flora and fauna, including the ASCO.
Christian Hildebrandt, Germany: My Master's thesis is on "Otter Protection in Traffic in Thuringia", usding GIS to determine the ecological passability of bridges and their effect on the biotope network for otters. I am also involved in a follow-on project conducting a behavioral study of otters under bridges to recommend improvements so that more otters use the safe way under the bridges and fewer die on the roads.
Kilian Hughes, India: I work at Wild Otters in Goa, studying the adaptation, habitat selection, behavior and distribution of the Smooth-coated otter across Chorao island, which is a human dominated/modified landscape
Danelle and Brendan Murray, South Africa: Brendan and I are the founders of Owl Rescue Centre, a Non Profit Organisation based in the North West Province of South Africa which is concerned with the protection and wellbeing of all owl species, wildlife and biodiversity. We were asked to rewild, release and post release monitor a very tame five year old African Clawless Otter, Lazarus, who had been rescued as a cub but remained in captivity. Specific challenges included 1) to overcome his fear for water, 2) to facilitate the process that would allow the otter to adopt crucial survival skills and 3) to break human contact and encourage independence. Release was successful, and we continue to monitor him.
Clara Ortiz-Alvarez, Peru: I have done several projects surveying for Marine Otters in various regions of Peru . I plan to continue working with marine otters, and collaborate with other Peruvian researchers to gain a clearer pictrure of the Lontra felina population.
Indranee Roopsind, Guyana: I was a member of OSG for ten years, but then stopped working with otters. Now I'm back! I'm working with Giant Otters in the North Rupununi on habitat use and behaviour
Karin Schwartz, USA: I am a long-standing zoo professional with extensive experience in data management as applied to conservation nationally and internationally. My Ph.D. research was on linking in situ and ex situ data management processes for endangered species recovery programs through the Species360 Zoological Information Management System. As Registrar at the Milwaukee County Zoo, I led the development of and was Co-Administrator the AZA Institutional Records-Keeping Course for 20 years. I also have international records training experience for zoo associations in Argentina, India, and South Korea. I am an active member of IUCN Conservation Planning, Conservation Translocation, and Tapir Specialist Groups and now work for WildTrack to coordinate the participation of zoos in developing algorithms for Footprint Identification Technology (FIT).
Hannah Slaney, United Kingdom: I am deputy head of the tiger section at Colchester Zoo. In this role I work with a group of smooth coated otters, I have been working with this group for 4 years and am involved in all areas of their care. My future plan is to complete the best practice guidelines.