Volume 7 Pages 1 - 43 (February 1992)

Citation: Nagulu, V. (1992) News from India IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 7: 41 - 42

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News from India

Vangla Nagulu

Dept of Zoology, Osmania University, Hyderabad, 500 007 India

Field study of river otters

A project entitled "Studies on distribution status and ecology of the river otter for their conservation in three ecologically different habitats in the eastern Ghats area" was sanctioned by Dept of Environment, Govt. of India and was put into operation during January 1991. Two ecologically distinct study areas (a fresh water river, Tungabhadra) in A.P. Karnataka border, and the other at Coringa estuary, have been selected. Two investigators one research associate, research scholar and a fieldsman are on the job.
Recently it was reported from the Tungabhadra Field Station, that a fisherman died of severe injuries (scratches and bites) in an encounter with river otters of Smooth Indian Otter Lutra perspicillata. Though it sounds strange to believe, it did happen. One day as they usually do, the fishermen went and spread their net in the river. A cub was caught in the net and was brought to the shore, emitting continuous shrill cries. Soon a group otters gathered around the man and started biting and scratching, and finally rescued the cub. The fisherman subsequently succumbed to injuries.

Otter enclosure at Nehru Zoo

A new otter enclosure has been built at Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad. The enclosure has been built along the lines of those seen at the Otter Zentrum, Hankensbüttel, Germany. It is roughly circular, open, and constructed around a mound of boulders with water between land and viewers. The viewer side is sealed with a wide glass pane to minimise disturbance.

An otter (Lutra perspicillata) was seen resting at the entrance of a hole under a boulder when the zoo was visited at midday. It seems that the present enclosure is better placed than the previous one, where visitors could go around the entire enclosure leaving no privacy for the otters. The two animals that were in the old enclosure used to be on the run all day, and eventually died one after the other.

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