They’re popular and enjoy celebrity status on the Internet. But is this enough to ensure the continued survival of the otter, wonders Andora Fredericks
LIKE the otter memes invading pop culture, otters are “otterly” funny and entertaining to watch. More recently they received celebrity status when Benedict Cumberbatch (of Sherlock Holmes, Dr Who and Dr Strange fame) went viral for his otter-esque expressions.
He’s quoted as saying, “It’s the blessing of having a weird face — somewhere between an otter and something people find vaguely attractive.’
Cumberbatch took it to the next level by appearing on the Graham Norton show to mimic more otter expressions much to the delight of otter and Cumberbatch fans alike. This only goes to show that there’s something about otters (and Cumberbatch!) that makes them irresistible.
Even scientists are gushing. Nicole Duplaix, the Chair of the IUCN Otter Specialist Group, is quoted as saying, “As a professional biologist, I was told that I must not attribute human emotions to the animals I observe, but after 40 years I am still tempted, because otters are so expressive, so vocal, and so clear about their intentions and feelings.” In addition to their adorable expressions, otters evoke a sense of fun and whimsy with their playful nature and penchant for frolicking in the sun.
There are 13 species of otters in almost every part of the world. Malaysia is home to four of them. We have the smallest otter — the Asian Small Clawed Otter (Aonyx cinereus), the rarest otter of them all — the Hairy Nosed Otter (Lutra Sumatrana), the Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) as well as the rather large Smooth Coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata).
The Hairy Nosed Otter placed Malaysia on the map again as they were thought to be extinct here for almost a century and was recently “rediscovered” through camera traps in 2010.
OTTER WATCH
Otters are chatty, highly social animals and mostly live in small groups made up of a mating pair and pups. These groups are called a bevy or a romp. Funnily, a group of otters in the water is called a raft.
They spend most of their lives in the water but are equally comfortable on land where they live in dens called holts. Their long, sinuous body, flattened head, paddle-like tail and webbed feet make them strong swimmers. Unlike most mammals that spend a lot of time in the water, otters don’t have a thick lining of blubber to keep them warm or for buoyancy. Instead, they have the thickest coat in the animal kingdom. The thick coat traps air within and helps them keep warm and afloat in the water.
They eat mostly fish and shellfish but are also known to eat frogs, birds, insects and invertebrates. Adept swimmers, otters hunt in a pack and are skillful in herding fish out of water. This skill is used by fishermen in Bangladesh who breed Smooth Coated Otters and train them to herd fish into their nets. In some parts of the world, otters have been reported to swim alongside fishermen to have a go at the fish that are being pulled up in the net.
These smart creatures are also loved for their mischievous nature and are known to engage in activities simply for the enjoyment of it. They slide, juggle and roll, and have also been caught on video playing with dogs on the beach in Penang.
Otters are semi aquatic mammals and are often found near rivers, lakes, padi fields, swamps and estuaries although normally they’ll also need to be near a source of fresh water. Considered top predators in their habitat, their status is often indicative of the health of our waters. They rely on high water quality, healthy and unpolluted aquatic prey as well as clean, undisturbed wetland habitats.
In some parts of the world, an otter sighted in areas where they have previously been known to have disappeared is cause for celebration as this would also indicate that the waters have improved enough to bring back the otters.
OTTER SIGHTINGS
A heartwarming example of a remarkable otter comeback would be in Britain where 30 years ago they were on the brink of extinction. However, efforts to bring back the health of rivers also brought back the otters. They now number in the thousands and are seen in every county in England.
Singapore also has cause for celebration as the Smooth Coated Otter, which was thought to have vanished since the 1970s, has been spotted around town. Their resurging numbers are seen as a sign that the island’s waterways are becoming cleaner. More recently, Ottie the Otter became the official mascot of an island-wide conservation movement backed by the government. A family of otters near Marina Bay called the Bishan 10 has even acquired celebrity status, with a dedicated Facebook group and excitement over their sightings and shenanigans.
Closer to home, Malaysia had reason to celebrate as the world’s most endangered otter species, the Hairy Nosed Otter, made a comeback through camera traps captured in the Deramakot Forest Reserve in Sabah. In a statement released in 2010, the elated Sabah Wildlife Department Director, Dr Laurentius Ambu, was quoted as saying, “This is great news for Sabah and shows once again how unique and fortunate we are in terms of wildlife and nature. In addition, these findings also boost the conservation of this endangered otter internationally as historically, this otter was distributed throughout large parts of Southeast Asia.”
There have been many reports of otter sightings in Malaysia that have been uploaded on social media.
Andrew J. Sebastian, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of ECOMY, an NGO focused on ecotourism-led conservation, is one such lucky individual. He has been regularly observing and reporting sightings of Smooth Coated Otters and Small Clawed Otters in his many expeditions. His most recent sighting was of a large family pod of Smooth Coated Otters in Kuala Selangor where he had the privilege of watching them hunt for food together, vocalise (talking) with each other and make alert calls when they finally noticed him watching them. Just through field trips and observations, Sebastian has noticed a decline in the population, at least in the Kuala Selangor area, which he believes could be caused by various reasons such as urbanisation and conflict with prawn farmers and fish ponds.
Says Sebastian: “Otters are highly social animals and are a unique selling point for tourists and nature lovers. We need to ensure that these creatures and their habitats are not compromised and that we figure them into our lives and activities as they form an important balance to the area’s food chain and life cycle,”
OTTERS IN TROUBLE
Polluted waterways and destruction of habitats for urbanisation or plantations are not the only cause for the decreasing numbers. Sadly they’re also being poached for their fur and for the pet trade.
“Otters are in trouble today everywhere they occur. They’re losing their clean rivers. They’re trapped and shot for their pelt. They’re seen as competitors by fishermen. Yet, when given the chance and protected, they do recover and return to former haunts. Today, otters are seen in bustling cities with clean water, like Singapore, where people are delighted to welcome them back again,” wrote Duplaix in her report on We Love Otters.
According to a recent report on Illegal Otter Trade published in July 2016 by TRAFFIC and IUCN Otter Specialist Group, in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, otters are hunted to supply a growing pet trade that appears to be mostly domestic.
The Small-clawed Otter and the Smooth-coated Otter are evidently popular. The same report also states that a recent study assessing the trade of wildlife via Facebook in Peninsula Malaysia highlighted otters as being popular pets with a high turnover rate.
It’s illegal to own otters as pets. Otters that are kept as pets cannot be reintroduced into the wild as they won’t be able to survive. “The rise of social media appears to have enabled the creation of a thriving marketplace for wild animals as pets where one previously didn’t exist in Malaysia,” said Kanitha Krishnasamy, Senior Programme Manager for TRAFFIC in Southeast Asia and co-author of the report, Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia.
She has one simple and strong message on this: “Don’t buy. Don’t fuel the trade.”
POINTERS TO OUR HEALTH
Although three out of the four species of otters in Malaysia are not considered Critically Endangered, they’re nonetheless categorised under “Vulnerable” which means we still need to pay attention and take necessary action to ensure their continued survival before it becomes too late.
There are many lessons and much inspiration that we can draw from otters, including to always remain close to family, to be happy, and to always make time for play!
These joyful mammals are capable of uplifting our spirit and are an emblem of the health of our surroundings. They have shown to respond well to our efforts to save them, so let’s do it!