IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Group Bulletin
©IUCN/SCC Otter Specialist Group
Abstracts
First Community-Based Conservation for Smooth-Coated Otters in Puri, Odisha, India
Pages 59 - 72 (Report)
Aurobindo Samal, Swarup Fullonton, Rudra Mahapatra, Akash Rath, Shreya Pandey, and Kalinga Keshari Jena
The presence of a species in a human-modified landscape often leads to conflict situations. Any loss to local communities poses a major threat to a species in its habitat. The Smooth-coated otter is an apex predator of aquatic ecosystems and often comes into direct interactions with local communities. Conservation can only be possible when communities are made aware of and are involved in conservation programs that safeguard wildlife and habitat. This conservation project is Odisha’s first community conservation project on Smooth-coated otters. For our study of Smooth-coated otters in Puri, Odisha, India, we approached local communities through social awareness campaigns in schools, government departmental sensitization, rapport building, wall paintings, fishing net compensation and local community workshops, believing that awareness is the major tool towards helping conservation programs.
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Smooth-Coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) Preys on Invasive Fishes in Vaduvoor Bird Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu, Southern India: Can Otters be Potential Bio-Controllers?
Pages 73 - 80 (Report)
Ramesh Gowtham, Kamalanathan Sharma, and Selvarasu Sathishkumar
Alien species are menacing global biological diversity by causing significant disruption of native species. The invasive fish species Pterygoplichthys sp. and Oreochromis sp. were eaten by smooth-coated otter at Vaduvoor Bird Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu. In total, six encounters were detected by both direct and indirect (corpses) observation. The invasive species play a major and important role in the smooth-coated otter’s diet. Hence, the observations showed that otter predation on invasive fish species could be as a promising potential bio-controller in inland waters and wetlands.
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Otters in Northeast India: A Review of the Sparse Available Information
Pages 81 - 89 (Review)
Melissa Savage
I review the status of our knowledge of three otter species Lutra lutra, Lutrogale perspicillata, and Aonyx cinereus (Mammalia: Carnivora: Mustelidae) reported to inhabit the Northeast region of India. I summarize the scant current documentation of otter distribution in eight Northeast states, and review human pressures on otters, which include a tradition of hunting and illegal trafficking. I searched publications that 1) record the confirmed presence of otters in states of the Northeast, and 2) report seizures of otters in the illegal wildlife trade in the states of the Northeast. I also consider the role of West Bengal, to the west of the region, in the illegal otter trade. The eight states that comprise Northeast India, are experiencing dramatic social shifts, increasing anthropogenic pressures, and decreasing regional isolation. A once highly remote and traditional region is being drawn slowly into the national and international economy, with marked consequences for wildlife. Confirmed records of otter species in the region are scarce, as are records of otter pelt seizure data.
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Has the Recolonization of the Po Plain Begun? Updates regarding the Presence of the Otter (Lutra lutra) in North-Eastern Italy
Pages 90 - 101 (Report)
Giacomo Stokel, Marcello Franchini, Lorenzo Frangini, Elisabetta Pizzul, and Stefano Filacorda
Widespread in Italy in the early 1900s, the Eurasian otter subsequently underwent a dramatic decline that led to its local extinction in many administrative regions, with the exception of a small residual nucleus in southern Italy. For a few years now, the Austrian and Slovenian populations adjacent to north-eastern Italy have been increasing sharply, leading to a recolonization of the area by the species. During 2020, in Friuli Venezia Giulia, surveys of signs of presence were carried out in 48 grid cells (10 x 10 km) to update information on the species’ local distribution. The following monitoring methods were used: monitoring beneath bridges combined with transects along water courses. 17 grid cells tested positive for the presence of the species, and currently, the otter appears widely distributed in Friuli Venezia Giulia along the main waterways of the Eastern Alps and Prealps, and in some areas overlooking the plain of the Tagliamento and the transborder Isonzo-Soča basin, both included in the Po plain. These constitute the first observations of the species for more than 50 years. Compared to previous studies, 13 new grid cells involving the presence of otters were identified, including in lowland areas, suggesting a progressive expansion from the mountain ranges towards the Po-Venetian Plain. This represents, a spur to expand research and implement new studies to improve levels of knowledge about and the consequent protection of the species. Finally, the integration of transects along riverbanks to monitoring beneath bridges, allowed us both to collect numerous observation and to compare our results with previous studies.
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Photographic Record of Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra (Linnaeus, 1758) in Odisha, India
Pages 102 - 109 (Short Note)
Nimain Charan Palei, Himanshu Shekhar Palei, Sabyasachi Rath, Bhakta Padarbinda Rath, and Arun Kumar Mishra
The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is a rare and lesser-known top predator of the aquatic ecosystem in India. A Eurasian otter was photographed on 9 July 2021 in a village in the Sundargarh forest division in the state of Odisha during a biodiversity survey. This record is an important addition to the currently limited information available for species distribution in the state of Odisha as well as in India. Further study is warranted to assess the genetic and demographic resilience of the population.
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Investigating the Distribution of the Smooth-Coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) using Environmental DNA: Preliminary Results
Pages 110 - 120 (Article)
Alexandra C. Duke and Caren S. Goldberg
The analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) can be an effective tool for detecting the presence of elusive or low-density organisms. While this technique has been utilized in many ecosystems, it has yet to be applied in mangrove ecosystems to detect aquatic mammals. Extreme environmental conditions (heat, salinity, turbidity) pose challenges for detection of rare species using eDNA in mangrove systems. We conducted a pilot study to test the sensitivity of eDNA methods for detecting the smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata; IUCN classification: vulnerable) in mangrove ecosystems in India. This species can be difficult to monitor due to their elusiveness and the challenges of working in these complex systems. Over 11 weeks, we collected 30 water samples where signs of L. perspicillata were noted around Chorão Island in Goa, India, filtering on-site immediately after collection. We designed and validated a species-specific probe-based quantitative PCR assay for this species and used it to detect DNA of L. perspicillata in the filtered samples. We found our assay to be effective in detecting L. perspicillata within the mangrove ecosystem of Goa. Our results show that the detection probability likely decreases with time and that detection is possible at both high and low tide. This method could provide a sensitive, efficient way to detect elusive semi aquatic or aquatic species in mangrove systems.
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