IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Group Bulletin

©IUCN/SCC Otter Specialist Group

Volume 39 Issue 4 (November 2022)

Citation: Samal, A., Sahu, J.S., Kar, N.B., Pattnaik, B., Mohapatra, M., and Pitchai, R.(2022). First Report of Direct Human – Smooth Coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) Conflict at Odisha, India. IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 39 (4): 241 - 245

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First Report of Direct Human – Smooth Coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) Conflict at Odisha, India

Aurobindo Samalk1*, Jyoti Shankar Sahu2, Niladri Bhushan Kar3, Barnava Pattnaik4, Manoj Mohapatra5, and Ramaswamy Pitchai6

1Earth Crusaders Organisation (ECO), Bhubaneswar, Odisha – 751019, India
2Research Assistant, Similipal South Division, Baripada, Odisha, India
3Fakir Mohan University, Balasore, Odisha - 756001, India
4NATCO Pharma Limited, Hyderabad, Telangana – 500018, India
5Regional Chief Conservator of Forest, Bhubaneswar, Odisha - 751003, India
6Divisional Forest Officer, Puri Wildlife Division, Puri, Odisha - 752002, India
*Corresponding Author Email: aurobindo.cse@gmail.com

Aurobindo Samal Jyoti Shankar Sahu Niladri Bhushan Kar Barnava Pattnaik Manoj Mohapatra Ramaswamy Pitchai

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Abstract: Human – otter direct conflict is rarely reported and do not often reach the news. Otters are carnivores and both an aquatic and a terrestrial mammal. Most of their conflicts with humans are because they take fish from fishing gear, and damage the nets of fishermen, which is their only livelihood. This paper reports the first direct conflict of otters with humans, causing injury to three people from one family in the state of Odisha, India. This report also indirectly shows feral dog – wildlife conflicts.

Keywords: Smooth-coated otter, Attack, Feral dog, Conflict, Injury, Treatment, Odisha

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INTRODUCTION

Three species of otters inhabit India (Menon, 2014) and all three have been reported from Odisha (Debata and Palei, 2020) but the Smooth coated otter is distributed mostly in the region of Puri, district of Odisha (Samal, 2022). There are many instances reported where smooth coated otters interaciton with fishermen affects the fishermen’s livelihood, and later leads to conflict. (Samal, 2022). Up till now, there have been no records of direct conflict between humans and otters in the state of Odisha.

At about 0900 on 12th June 2022, a 9-year-old girl found an otter being chased by a dog near Balabhadrapur, Astaranga, Puri (19.9416000, 86.2885950); the otter took refuge in an abandoned house to save its life from the dog. Curious, the girl entered the house to see the animal; it was stressed and felt threatened by the sudden encounter with thechild, and bither on her left leg calf muscle (Fig 1.). The abandoned house was next door to the victim’s house.

Calf and foot of girl, with two deep, wide punctures, which are healing.
Figure 1. Canine tooth marks of smooth coated otter on calf muscle of 9-year-old girl.

When the girl shouted in pain, her 32-year-old mother came to the rescue, and tried to help her daughter escape, but, the otter attacked the mother too, biting her hand (Fig 2.).

Two images. On the left is the right hand of the child's mother, with bites on the back of the hand including two deep canine wounds. On the right is the mother's hand after healing, showing extensive scarring.
Figure 2. Mother’s hand showing fresh bite and after healing.

While escaping in terror from the abandoned house, the otter attacked the youngest daughter (7-year-old) of the family with its claws on her upper thighs (Fig 3.) . Later the otter escaped from the place using a waterbody on opposite of the house.

Knee and thigh of child with large healed scratches.
Figure 3. 7-year-old victim, who was scratched by the otter, while the otter was escaping.

Three members of one family were attacked and the injuries were severe. The family was taken to the Community Health Center, Astaranga for post bite treatment, where they were given Tetanus and Rabies Vaccinations.

A couple of months later, our team visited the victim family to reassure them, follow up on their injuries, and mitigate the chance of probable retaliation towards the smooth-coated otter species (Fig 4).

Aurobindo Samal outside a thatched hut, talking to the two children and their mother; there are two other children and another woman present.
Figure 4. Follow up with the victim’s family after interval of 2 months to reassure them, and try to mitigate any future human – wildlife conflicts

DISCUSSION

Direct human – otter conflict causing harm is seldom reported in India because the bites are never serious enough to kill anyone. Otters are carnivores and the attacks we mentioned was accidental and unfortunate. We think that the otter was stressed after being chased by dog, felt cornered, and took the human as one of the threats blocking its escape. The attack was unintentional by the otter and due to stress. Follow ups were taken to check the victims’ health condition and to avoid probable future conflicts with otters.

Acknowledgements: We are very thankful to PCCF Odisha and RCCF, Bhubaneswar for their encouragement. We thank DFO, Puri for permitting us to work, and providing us all the logistic support in the field during our work. We are thankful to Forest Ranger Officer, Astaranga and the guards of Sahana PRF for helping us in field work and facilities. We thank the people of the community for showing interest in our work and cooperating during our field visits.

REFERENCES

Debata, S. and Palei, H.S. (2020). An updated checklist of mammals of Odisha, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 12 (10): 16219–16229. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.6025.12.10.16219-16229
Govind, S.K., Jayson, E.A. (2018). Attack of Otter on Humans in Thrissur, Kerala, India. IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 35: 57-61. https://www.iucnosgbull.org/Volume35/Govind_Jayson_2018.html
Menon, V. (2014). Indian Mammals – A field guide. Hachette Book Publishing India Pvt. Ltd., India.
Samal, A., Fullonton, S., Mahapatra, R., Rath, A., Pandey, S., and Jena, K.K. (2022). First Community-Based Conservation for Smooth-Coated Otters in Puri, Odisha, India. IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 39 (2): 59 - 72 https://www.iucnosgbull.org/Volume39/Samal_et_al_2022.html

Résumé: Premiere Observation d’un Conflict Direct entre l’Homme et la Loutre à Pelage Lisse (Lutrogale perspicillata), à Odisha en Inde
Les conflits directs entre l’homme et la loutre sont rarement signalés et plus rarement documentés. Les loutres sont des carnivores et des mammifères à la fois aquatiques et terrestres. La plupart des conflits entre l’homme et la loutre sont dus au fait qu’elles volent les poissons dans les engins de pêche et endommagent les filets des pêcheurs, avec pour unique objectif leur subsistance. Cet article mentionne un premier conflit direct entre les loutres et l’homme causant des blessures à trois personnes d’une même famille dans l’état d’Odisha, en Inde. Ce rapport illustre aussi de manière indirecte les conflits entre chien sauvage et faune.
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Resumen: Primer Reporte de Conflicto Directo Humano-Nutria Lisa (Lutrogale perspicillata) en Odisha, India
Raramente se reporta conflicto directo Humano-Nutria, y no llega a menudo a ser noticia. Las nutrias son carnívoros, y son mamíferos tanto acuáticos como terrestres. La mayor parte de sus conflictos con humanos se deben al robo de peces de los artificios de pesca y al daño que producen en las redes de pesca de pescadores que lo hacen para sobrevivir. Este artículo reporta el primer conflicto directo entre nutrias y humanos, que causaron heridas a tres personas de una familia en Odisha, India. Este informe también muestra indirectamente los conflictos perros asilvestrados-fauna silvestre.
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सारांश – भारत के ओडिशा राज्य में इंसान और उदबिलाब के बीच हुए संघर्ष का पहले घटना पर आधारित रिपोर्ट ।
मानव-ऊदबिलाव संघर्ष की शायद ही कभी रिपोर्ट की जाती है और शायद ही कभी ध्यान दिया जाता है। ऊदबिलाव मांसाहारी होते हैं; और दोनों जलीय और स्थलीय स्तनपायी। मनुष्यों के साथ उनके अधिकांश संघर्ष मछुआरों के मछली पकड़ने के उपकरण से उनकी मछली चोरी करने की प्रकृति के कारण होते हैं, साथ ही उनके मछली पकड़ने के जाल को नष्ट करने के कारण होते हैं, जो पूरी तरह से एक मछुआरे की आजीविका है। यह पेपर मनुष्यों के साथ ऊदबिलाव के पहले प्रत्यक्ष संघर्ष की रिपोर्ट करता है, जिससे भारत के ओडिशा राज्य में एक ही परिवार के तीन लोग घायल हो गए। इसके अलावा, रिपोर्ट अप्रत्यक्ष रूप से कुत्ते-वन्यजीव संघर्षों को भी दिखाती है।
शुरुआत में लौटें

ସାରାଂଶ – ଭାରତ ର ଓଡ଼ିଶା ରେ ମଣିଷ- ପାଣି ଓଧ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ହୋଇଥିବା ସାମୁହିକ ସଂଘର୍ଷ ର ପ୍ରଥମ ଉପସ୍ଥାପନା ।
ମଣିଷ - ପାଣି ଓଧ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ସଂଘର୍ଷର କୌଣସି ଉପସ୍ଥାପନାର ନଜିର ନଥାଏ କିମ୍ବା ଗୁରୁତ୍ୱାରୋପ ଦିଆ ଯାଇନଥାଏ । ପାଣି ଓଧ ଏକ ସ୍ଥନ୍ୟପାୟୀ ମାଂସାଶୀ ପ୍ରାଣୀ ଓ ଉଭୟଚର (ଜଳ ଓ ସ୍ଥଳ)। ମନୁଷ୍ୟ ସହ ପାଣି ଓଧର ମୁଖ୍ୟ ଦ୍ଵନ୍ଦ୍ୱ ଗୁଡ଼ିକ ମଧ୍ୟରୁ ମତ୍ସ୍ୟଜିବୀ ଙ୍କ ଜାଲ ନଷ୍ଟ ଓ ଜାଲରୁ ମାଛ ଚୋରି ପ୍ରକୃତି ଇତ୍ୟାଦିର ସାମୁହିକ ନଜିର ରହିଅଛି, ମାତ୍ର ଏହି ଉପସ୍ଥାପନା ଓଡ଼ିଶାରେ ପ୍ରଥମ ଥର ପାଣି ଓଧ ଓ ମଣିଷ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ହୋଇଥିବା ସାମୁହିକ ସଙ୍ଘର୍ଷ କୁ ଦର୍ଶାଇଅଛି । ଉପରୋକ୍ତ ଅଭିଲେଖରେ ଏକ ପରିବାରର ତିନି ଜଣ ସଦସ୍ୟ ମାନେ ପାଣି ଓଧ ସହ ହୋଇଥିବା ଆକସ୍ମିକ ଦ୍ଵନ୍ଦ୍ୱ ରେ ଆହତ ହୋଇଥିବା ତଥା ବୁଲା କୁକୁର ଏବଂ ବନ୍ୟପ୍ରାଣୀ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଲାଗିରହିଥିବା ଦ୍ଵନ୍ଦ୍ୱ କୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ଦର୍ଶାଇଛି ।
ଆରମ୍ଭକୁ ଫେରନ୍ତୁ

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