IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Group Bulletin
©IUCN/SCC Otter Specialist Group
Volume 39 Issue 1 (February 2022)
Abstracts
First Photographic Records of the Small-Clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus (Illiger, 1815) in Eastern Java, Indonesia
Pages 3 - 14 (Report)
Ragil Rihadini, Angie Appel, Cipto Dwi Handono, and Iwan Febrianto
The knowledge about the distribution of the Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus on the Indonesian island of Java largely dates to the 20th century. We present the easternmost photographic evidence for its presence on Java. A camera trapping survey in 2018 yielded 28 notionally independent events of the Small-clawed Otter in a mangrove ecotourism site located east of the city of Surabaya. Most of these events show solitary individuals at night. Two duos were recorded in fishponds, and family groups between mid-November and end of December. The mangrove habitat along the coastline of this site is polluted by plastic waste, and microplastic entered the food chain through molluscs and fish, the main prey of the Small-clawed Otter. Further surveys are warranted to determine the distribution and conservation needs of the Small-clawed Otter in coastal wetlands of eastern Java.
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First Photographic Record of Smooth-Coated Otters (Lutra Perspicillata Geoffroy 1826) in Vellar Estuary, Northeast Coast of Tamil Nadu, India
Pages 16 - 21 (Short Communication)
Udhayakumar Utthamapandian, Dipani Sutaria and Ayyappan Saravanakumar
The presence of the smooth-coated otter (L. perspicillata) in the estuary of River Vellar has been confirmed by sighting and interview surveys. A family of smooth-coated otters was observed in a stream, hunting and eating fish from fishermen’s nets, resting and swimming around during the end of morning low tide. This is the first study that confirms the presence of otters here. The next closest known record is from Pichavaram which is about 6km south of the Vellar estuary. The family in the Vellar estuary consisted of ten otters; they were social, showing parental care. The report suggests the available rich biodiversity of the river which should come under conservation criteria.
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Smooth-Coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata (Geoffroy, 1826) in the Urban Landscape of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
Pages 22- 28 (Short Communication)
Sri Chakra Pranav Tamarapalli and Shekhar Kolipaka
The Smooth-coated otter, for the first time, is photographed in the Kondakarla Ava (Ava means lake) located within the urban landscape of Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh, India. In the Ava, otter-human relations, especially with the local fishing community, are strained with conflicts. Otters feed on commercially farmed and valuable wild fish in the Ava, such as snakehead fish, carp, catfish, and damage fish traps. The perceived financial loss of fish and the damage to equipment anger the fishermen, and they retaliate by opportunistically killing otters and the pups. Despite human retaliation, otters continue to survive in the human-dominated wetland ecosystem of Vizag. Their resilience and survival ability posts a solid case to support the conservation prospects of the species within this rapidly developing and proposed metropolitan region of Visakhapatnam.
Future investigations to support effective otter conservation planning in the Visakhapatnam district should include 1) Inter-connectivity of the various local streams and water bodies and if otter movement across the larger landscape is supported. 2) Investigate the human-dimension aspect, such as local practices of local communities using the streams and water bodies and their impact on wetlands and local fauna, and understanding wildlife conflicts.
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Otter Survey in Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, Eastern Himalayas of India
Pages 29- 38 (Report)
Atul Borker, Komal Gogi, Hannah Krupa, Melissa Savage, and Nishant Bhardwaj
Otter species are declining across their distribution in South Asia. There is an urgent need to understand the distribution of otters in the region, as well as to direct conservation efforts and protect their habitat. In India, there are very few data on otters in the Northeast region of the country. In this study, we report the presence of two species, Eurasian and Small-clawed otters, in the Pakke Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary (Pakke Tiger Reserve) in Arunachal Pradesh, a large Indian state in the Eastern Himalayas. The Eurasian otter and the Small-clawed otter species are listed on Appendix I of CITES and are protected by Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 in India. We conducted the first survey for otters in the Indian North-east, along the Kameng River, and recorded 43 otter signs, 23 of the Eurasian otter, and 20 of the Small-clawed otter, and retrieved photographic records of both species. There is an urgent need for further research and the development of conservation strategies to protect otters in the region.
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Predation Event on Iguana Iguana by Pteronura Brasiliensis in the mid Tillavá River Basin, Colombia
Pages 39- 43 (Short Communication)
Carlos A. Aya, Carlos A. Lasso and Fernando Trujillo
The Giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is a semi-aquatic mammal listed as Endangered (EN) at national and international levels. On 20th April 2021, a P. brasiliensis was sighted and a video recorded the killing a Common green iguana (Iguana iguana). In this short note we report the first record of attack and consumption of iguana by giant otter and includ the Giant otter in the list of the occasional predators of these widespread lizards in a tributary of Tillavá River, tributary of the Vichada River, department of Meta, Colombia.
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Review of Environmental Policies and Otter Conservation in Nepal
Pages 44 - 55 (Article)
Paras Mani Acharya, Somchai Saeung, Kuaanan Techato, Naresh Rimal, Saroj Gyawali, And Dinesh Neupane
Nepal has several policies and legal provisions for species conservation, but no specific protection for otter species. This study aims to identify the legal provisions of Nepal. Protecting riverine animals, including otters, by analyzing legal documents and publications describing environmental policies as they apply to the conservation of riverine species. The review suggests that development projects in the country are not following the provisions of environmental impact studies during project formulation, implementation, or monitoring. Established policies emphasize the conservation, restoration, and effective management of wetlands for biodiversity and environment conservation. Minimal effective implementation of the unified Wetland Acts and regulations and a lack of coordination among related agencies are the major gaps in the conservation of otters in Nepal.
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