Eurasian otter discovered for the first time from Kerala

The mammal was found in the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary in Idukki. They are shy and nocturnal and found near small streams in the interior forests and hunt their prey during night

Eurasian otter found from Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary in Idukki | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A team of researchers have discovered Eurasian otter in the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary in Idukki, a first in Kerala. The scientific name of the Eurasian otter is Lutra lutra.

The study has been conducted by Srihari K. Mohan, Latish R. Nath, Subin K.S., and Srikumar K. Govindankutty under the guidance of P.O. Nameer, Professor and Head, Department of Wildlife Science, College of Forestry, Kerala Agricultural University.

This discovery of the Eurasian otter in the Western Ghats has added another member to Kerala’s mammal list.

With this, there are three species of otters found in Kerala, including smooth-coated otter and small-clawed otter. They are shy and nocturnal and found near small streams in the interior forests and hunt their prey during night, according to Dr. Nameer.

The presence of the Eurasian otter in the Western Ghats was studied in the first half of the 20th Century by the Bombay Natural History Society’s mammal census. The studies detail their presence in Coorg in Karnataka and Ooty and Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu. However, after that no study in the Western Ghats has been able to officially prove their presence.

Hence, their presence in the Western Ghats after 1940 became a question mark. After over 70 years, in 2017, the carcass of an otter was found at Valpara in Tamil Nadu, run over by a vehicle. DNA studies later proved it to be Eurasian otter.

However, till date no pictures or official documents have been received from Kerala. This discovery from the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is the first official record of Eurasian otter in Kerala. Moreover, after a long wait, they have been found alive in the Western Ghats, according to the research team.

The discovery has been published in the latest edition of the International Journal of Threatened Taxa. This article emphasises further research on Eurasian otter and detailed studies of their taxonomy, numbers, distribution, and behaviour. The scientific article also discusses the need to protect the riparian forests in the higher elevations of the Western Ghats.