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

Volume 9 Pages 1 - 16 (March 1994)

Otter Research in South Africa
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Work on the two projects outlined in last year's bulletin (N° 8) is still in progress.

In the south-western Cape Province, Michael Somers has made good progress on his study on "Otters as bio-indicators in freshwater ecosystem". Caterina Carugati, working on the area requirements of Aonyx capensis and Lutra maculicollis in the Drakensberg of Natal province, has completed the first phase of her project. This involved comparing sign of otters along three rivers in a protected area, and portion of one river outside of the protected area. The project will now be expanded. Caterina will be joined by llaria Carranza. They will investigate the co­existence of the two otter species with the other aquatic carnivore, the water mongoose Atilax paludinosus, and attempt to establish area requirements of all three species using telemetry and isotopes.

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