Habitat destruction, conflict with fishers, drying up streams, decreasing food supply, and attacks by feral dogs are also affecting otters’ already sharply plummeting population
Despite the part of the Sundarbans under the Khulna region in southern Bangladesh being well-known as the “regular” home to countless otters, Rajshahi often sees some of the endangered carnivorous mammals.
However, it is never heard that otters could be found in the country’s northern most region of Rangpur.
Much to the surprise of nature lovers and wildlife experts, an otter has been noticed in a rare sight in the Teesta River in Rangpur.
Environmentalist Tuhin Wadud, also a professor at Rangpur Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur, revealed the finding in an article published in a Bangla daily on January 5.
“It is really surprising that an otter was found in that river. The incident took place on December 6 as we went there to take photos and enjoy the nature in a sunny day,” he said.
Wadud went to the Mohipur point of the river in Gangachara Upazila in Rangpur.
“I’ve been working on the Teesta River for nearly 15 years and visiting the river for photography for five years. But never did I see any otter there,” Wadud recalled.
“I never heard of any otter existing there either.”
Examining a photo of the mammal, wildlife expert and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University’s Professor Dr ANM Aminoor Rahman said it was smooth-coated otter.
With their height of 59-79 centimetres, they weigh between seven and 11 kilogrammes. These others have a 37-50 centremetre long tail each.
Bangladesh has three species of otters: the Asian small-clawed, the Eurasian, and smooth-coated otter. The latter two are relatively larger and considered “critically endangered” since an assessment carried out by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Bangladesh in 2015.
The Asian small-clawed otters – the smallest of their kind globally — are mostly found in the Sundarbans.
The Asian small-clawed otter is vulnerable in Bangladesh; the species has lost 50% of its original population in the country.
According to a BBC report, for centuries, fishermen in the southern part of Bangladesh have used a unique method to catch fish with the help of otters.
These fishermen raise otters as pets, and then take them to rivers and ponds, securing them with ropes. Otters are excellent swimmers and easily catch fish in the water, bringing them back to their owners.
Being a riverine country, otters are the symbols of healthy rivers. However, they are long gone from almost all our aquatic habitats. The health of our aquatic ecosystems is fading away.
According to research published by the IUCN Otter Specialist Group journal, there are 53 individuals within a 350 sq km stretch of the Sundarbans. More surprisingly, the presence of smooth-coated otters in the Ganges was scientifically established last year.
The work featured in the journal of International Otter Survival Fund tells us that about 50 individuals are still living in a 90 square kilometre riverine area of Rajshahi. This is the sole science-based work done on this species in Bangladesh.
Poaching for fur and extraction to supply a recently spiked demand in pet trade is the number one threat to Asia’s most trafficked otter species: the Asian small-clawed otter.
Habitat destruction, conflict with fishers, drying up streams, decreasing food supply, and attacks by feral dogs are also affecting otters’ already sharply plummeting population.
Efforts for otters, be it research-based or to conserve, are far from enough in the country. This fascinating group of carnivores is not yet a conservation priority.