River otters (Neer Naai), usually found in the Western Ghats and Moyar river in Tamil Nadu, have been spotted in the Vaduvoor Bird Sanctuary in Tiruvarur district. “This is the first time we have spotted them in this part of the State. Last year we found them and this year we have been able to photograph them. We have made a short video,” Dr K. Arivoli, District Forest Officer (DFO) of Tiruvarur told The Hindu .
Clip of family
In the video, one can see a family of five animals moving around a bund in the lake with a cub. “I spotted nine of them. Usually, they come to the surface in the afternoon,” said one of the guards of the sanctuary, which houses 38 species of native and migratory species. Mr. Arivoli said the mammals could have gained entry through the waters of the Cauvery river that feeds the lake. “They may have decided to stay back as there is a good fish population here. When there is dearth of food, they move out of the lake and ravage the nearby fish farms,” he said. The birdwatching season in the 128-hectare sanctuary has begun and visitors can spot open-billed stork, spot-billed duck, pelican, and painted stork. Mr. Arivoli said flamingos had started coming to roost in the sanctuary since last year.
