The presence of the shy, elusive Eurasian otter has been confirmed, for the first time, in Goa, offering hope that all three otter species endemic to India are found in the coastal state.
The sighting was made earlier this year, in February and published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa on August 28. While the smooth-coated otter and the small-clawed otter are both found in Goa, the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) had not been recorded before. “When we rescued the otter, we first assumed it to be a smooth coated otter, but noticed there was something different about its appearance,” said Charan Desai, a wildlife rescuer based in Goa, who spotted the otter. The Eurasian otter can be distinguished by a “W” shaped rhinarium (the furless skin surrounding its nostrils).
The otter was found injured on the road in the state’s Dharbandoda area, at the edge of the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary. The area is surrounded by semi-evergreen forest patches, agricultural land, and closed stone quarries. Seasonal streams and rivulets in the area are connected to the Ragada river and Zuari river basin. “Habitat wise, Eurasian otters like streams with rocky patches, and banks with thick vegetation. This is the same as small-clawed otters and therefore they can exist sympatrically,” explained Katrina Fernandez, co-founder and chief ecologist of Wild Otters, a conservation organisation based in Goa.
Tragically, the otter succumbed to its injuries a day after it was rescued, likely due to a collision with a vehicle. Otters are threatened by habitat degradation, wetland disappearance, water pollution, and even conflict with humans over a common resource – fish. They are a keystone species whose presence is a sign of indicator of ecosystem health. “Waste from sewage lines, especially from hotels, is often dumped directly into rivers, which is a major threat for otters,” said Desai.
The Eurasian otter is more elusive and solitary than the other two species found in India, making it harder to spot. It is typically found in the Western and Eastern Himalayas, like the small-clawed otter. The smooth coated otter has a wider distribution across the country.
According to Fernandez, it’s important to conduct further studies before declaring the Eurasian otter’s presence in Goa. “I prefer to be cautious because otters are known to be traded as pets, and it’s imperative to make sure they are there in more numbers and that this one individual was not here because of some outside factors,” she said, adding,” First, it’s important to do some more research, find out where they are present, and then use the information for further protection of the habitats they might be in.”
Banner image: Representative image of a Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) from central India. Image by Aditya4wiki via Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 4.0].
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