www.otter.org IOSF e-update no. 63 March 2016

e-Update 63, March 2016

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Otters of the World This month we look at the Hairy-nosed otter and we have Dr Budsabong Kanchanasaka to thank for showing that this rare species was not actually extinct, as was Hairy-nosed otter showing hairs on the nose thought in 1998. Budsabong still believed Photo: Romain Pizzi there were some hairy-nosed otters living in Thailand and with funding from IOSF through the Rainforest Action Fund she re- discovered them in the Phru Toa Dang swamp forest. Some cubs had been found and Budsabong told us “hurrying down south on a hunch, my suspicions were proven true – the otters had hair-covered rhinariums – hairy-nosed otters.” These otters get their name because the black part of the nose, the rhinarium, is covered in hairs unlike most mammals.

Since then isolated populations have been found in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam and they may still be present in Laos and Myanmar (Burma). It wasn’t until summer 2013 that hairy-nosed otters were confirmed in peninsular Malaysia, when a wildlife photographer, Nick Baker, managed to photograph them in Taman Negara.

This is a long slender otter with an incredibly long tail and it is mostly dark in colour with yellow or white markings on the chin and neck. In Cambodia they are known as the “black otter” to distinguish them from the “grey otter” or smooth-coated otter.

They eat mostly fish, but like all otters, will take whatever they can get, such as snakes, frogs, lizards, crabs, birds and small mammals.

These otters are classed as “Endangered” and very little is known about their behaviour in the wild. The only video footage of wild hairy-nosed otters was taken by Budsabong in southern Thailand. Their preferred habitat seems to be in areas of lowland Melaleuca swamp forest, although they have also been found in highland jungle areas and in oil palm and rubber plantations. Unfortunately areas of Melaleuca forest are declining which is a clear threat to this rare species. There are also threats from pollution, construction of hydroelectric dams, competition with fishermen and hunting for the illegal fur trade. Sadly they have even been taken as pets but the cubs have died as they seem to be very vulnerable when kept in captivity.

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In March 2009 there was an otter training workshop in Cambodia and just after this a fisherman found a hairy-nosed otter caught in his nets and took it to his community worker. This was such a positive step as this man could have sold the otter for about $200 which is a huge amount for a poor fisherman. This co-operation and liaison between the local communities and otter workers is essential for the long term conservation of the species.

This otter became known as Dara, meaning ‘star’ in the local Khmer language, and he became an ambassador to the local people for otter conservation. He was cared for at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre in Phnom Penh and IOSF raised funds for a new enclosure for Dara. When he moved in, the Buddhist monks blessed his new home, as is customary for people when they move house. Sadly Dara became seriously ill and died, and it seems as if this species is particularly vulnerable to water quality.

At the end of 2011 another hairy-nosed otter was taken to Phnom Tamao - Pursat. Every day, staff from Wildlife Alliance bring fresh water to ensure that Pursat does not encounter the same problems as Dara. He is the only hairy-nosed otter in captivity and he too is regarded as an ambassador for his species.

For more information on the hairy-nosed otter go to http://www.otter.org/Public/AboutOtters_OtterSpecies.aspx?speciesID=12 and you can also read more in Otters of the World available at www.ottershop.co.uk

Funds raised by The YEAR OF THE OTTER will go into the conservation of the hairy- nosed otter – please help.

Year of the Otter The Year of the Otter is gaining momentum and many people have been helping by translating our posters and flyers into different languages. These are now available to download at: http://www.otter.org/Public/MediaAndResources_Resources.aspx

At the time of writing we have 17 languages – Arabic, Belarussian, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Khmer, Nepali, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swahili, and of course English and more and more translations are coming in.

If you are able to help by translating into other languages please do contact us at [email protected]

These posters are for everyone to download and distribute and you will also find material for use with children at http://www.otter.org/Public/MediaAndResources_Resources_ForChildren.aspx

TOGETHER WE CAN BECOME A VERY LOUD VOICE TO MAKE PEOPLE LISTEN AND TAKE NOTICE

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Other ways you can help … Are you planning an exciting challenge this year? Maybe running a marathon or half marathon, or losing a lot of weight. Or are you going to tackle a long-distance walk, such as the Pennine or West Highland Way? How about that once in a lifetime experience such as a parachute jump? Well, you could make it even more special if you get people to sponsor you and raise funds for the Year of the Otter.

We have sponsorship forms ready for you and we can make your event known on the website to draw in even more sponsors.

And remember to encourage your friends and family to donate via our crowdfunding page at https://www.buzzbnk.org/ProjectDetails.aspx?projectId=266

So just contact us at [email protected] to turn your experience into something that will also help otter conservation worldwide.

News from the African Otter Group Ethiopia Engadesew Andarge took this photo of an African clawless otter footprint on the shore of Lake Tana (the source of the Blue Nile). It is an excellent print and will be very useful for comparison with other prints found in the field.

Engadesew has recently been awarded a grant from the Rufford Foundation for his project on the African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) and spotted-necked otter (Lutra macullicolis) in Ethiopia. The project aims to produce a distribution map and determine the conservation status of the two species, which are both threatened by human disturbance and lack of awareness among local communities.

Otters are poorly understood in Ethiopia due to a lack of research. Both species are very rare and critically endangered throughout Ethiopia and their distribution range appears to be very fragmented.

Engadesew will carry out surveys for tracks and spraints at rivers, ponds, lakes and associated wetlands together with camera trapping, direct observations and interviews with local communities. There will be interviews and discussions with fishermen, nature guides, park wardens and scouts, and local communities to generate information and awareness about otters and conservation issues. This will enable the local communities to take part in decision making and policy planning for the conservation of otters and natural resources as a whole.

As well as providing valuable data on otters in Ethiopia, the project will also provide a clear strategy for their conservation. It will also increase the community understanding of the value of otters as indicators of the health of wetlands and protection of water sources.

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Tanzania William Mgomo is planning to extend his programme of school visits and also to meet with the fishermen from Mbamba bay who fish in Lake Nyasa. During a patrol of the Liparamba game reserve he also found fresh spraint along the Ruvuma River.

Johnson Mbaryo told us of new threats to otters from gold mining activities. People are shifting the river course so that they can dig down into the river bed to get gold.

Kenya Risper Ondiek met with fishermen at Lake Naivasha who reported the presence of otters but it looks as if their numbers have declined since 1990s.

More important work in Africa will be funded by THE YEAR OF THE OTTER

Help For Kikongo Otter Sanctuary As I write a parcel is heading to Rita with various items to help with her work at the Kikongo Otter Sanctuary.

Thanks to the generosity of you, our followers, we are sending a box of supplies including baby bottle teats, cameras (both digital and remote trap) and other items which are hard to get in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Many thanks to all who donated.

The UK’s National Wildlife Crime Unit is Safe Only a few weeks ago it looked as if the UK's National Wildlife Crime Unit would disappear due to a short-sighted lack of funding. Now however, the Government has seen sense and announced funding for the next four years.

When people think of wildlife crime it is mostly in connection with furs and body parts from exotic species like tiger, leopard, elephant and rhino, and the unit does indeed work on these aspects. However, it is a sad fact that there are many cases here in the UK. We have snaring of protect species such as otters, badger baiting and the poisoning of raptors. So the work of the Unit is vital.

Snares are a particularly barbaric piece of killing equipment. Of course there are legal and illegal snares, but as far as we are concerned there really is no difference. Legal snares are those which slacken off when the animal doesn't pull against them, but in reality what animal is not going to struggle to get out of these traps. The law also says that they have to be checked every 24 hours, but again we know that this often isn't done. We have seen many otters with horrific injuries caused by these devices and the sooner they are all banned the better.

Although the Unit can only uphold the law as it stands, it would have been a disaster for our wildlife if we had lost this important tool.

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British Animal Honours 2013 IFAW Animal Action Wildlife Conservation Award Winner 2012 Award Winner www.otter.org IOSF e-update no. 63 March 2016

News from the Hospital This morning at breakfast, Paul called me to the window to watch an otter swimming out in the bay. I am always aware how privileged I am to be able to care for otters but this is the best way to see them – swimming free and totally unaware that we are there.

Kerr arrived at Arthurshiel in a box! This month’s big news is the arrival of little Photo: Arthurshiel Animal Rescue Centre Kerr from the Scottish Borders. He walked into the Margaret Kerr Unit of the Borders General Hospital and was taken to Arthurshiel Animal Rescue Centre http://www.arthurshielrescuecentre.co.uk/

Some of you may remember that we have had two cubs from there before, Orla and Carla. Shona contacted us and arranged to bring him up to us but in the meantime he quickly took to eating whole trout – quite a thing for one so young. We can’t get trout easily here, so we tried him with salmon but he wasn’t that impressed. So we tried gurnard – these are sea fish with a very hard head and nasty spines but we removed these and he quickly tucked in. He certainly doesn’t like people and when trying to get a photo I just get one chance as he quickly darts under his bedding to hide.

Arthurshiel are looking to upgrade their short-term otter facilities before they can Kerr in the cub unit at IOSF be transferred here. If you would like to help, contact them through Facebook or send a donation to us at IOSF marked “Arthurshiel”.

Puddle and Zoomer are approaching the age when we can think about release. They continue to amuse me when I go up to feed. I have mentioned the visiting crows before but this week I saw something I would never have believed would happen. One cheeky crow was very close to Puddle waiting for the scraps but then it got tired of waiting. I thought it had managed to get a fish tail but no – it had hold of the otter’s tail and was giving it a good tug! I expected the otter to have a go at it but nothing – he never flinched but just carried on eating.

Zoomer is becoming a bit of a climber – it’s a good thing there is an overhang on the fence to prevent her from climbing out. Puddle & Zoomer curled up together in their box 5 of 10

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If you would like to support our cubs in the Sanctuary you can send a cheque marked "Hospital" on the back or make a donation online at www.ottershop.co.uk

Otters and Rats We all know that otters eat a variety of prey species but we personally have never seen them eat a rat. We have seen rats pass very close to them but they took no notice – maybe they were fully fed and didn’t need a snack!

There is, of course, no reason why an otter couldn’t take a rat and a recent video showed one doing exactly that - Eurasian otter Photo: Emil Barbelette https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6ieKrrm0vw&feature=youtu.be

But this can also be dangerous as recently a male otter was found dead by the River Kennet in Marlborough. It turned out that he had ingested Brodifacouom, a rat poison which is 50 times more lethal for dogs than certain other rat poisons.

This particular otter had become a local celebrity after photos were shared through Facebook. There is no evidence that he was killed deliberately and it would appear just to be a tragic accident.

Rats can be a problem but this incident has served as a serious warning that people using rat poison carelessly can cause the needless deaths of many animals, including wild animals like otters and domestic pets like cats and dogs.

The River Kennet is the largest tributary of the Thames and one of England’s most important chalk streams. It runs through the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Beauty and Action for the River Kennet (ARK) http://www.riverkennet.org/ help to look after a lot of the important habitat, including the Stonebridge Wild River Reserve. Anna Forbes of ARK said “The Reserve provides an important protected habitat for otters and it is a delight to see them using it. To find a poisoned otter so close to this safe haven is devastating. It is very important to spread the message about correct use of rat poison to allow otters to thrive along our chalk stream.” http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/14351755.Popular_otter_found_poisoned_by_the_River_ Kennet_in_Marlborough/

Commemorative Statue for Tarka the Otter (photo: North Devon Gazette/Sarah Howells) Many people will know the book “Tarka the Otter” which was written by Henry Williamson and was set on the River Torridge in North Devon. Now the people of Bideford have decided to erect a bronze statue of Tarka near the old bridge.

Tania Quance, of Businesses of Bideford (BOB) said that “The otter will be holding a fish, because Bideford is still a working port with trawlers, and also we have a thriving angling club here. We want to show the diversity of the wildlife in the Torridge.”

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The statue will be made by local sculptor, Rowan Fawldon, and they are now seeking funding to cover the costs of £15,000. There will be various fundraising events and they are also creating a unique Otter Book to show how the people of Bideford came together to make it happen with contributions from various other ottery people and organisation. If you want more information on the project go to the Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/events/776884025778890)

Good News from India (photos: Smooth-coated otters by Dr Bivash Pandav, Wildlife Institute of India) About 20 years ago smooth-coated otters were a common sight along the Thootha River in Kerala, south India, but then they disappeared. Now they have returned and the residents of the local villages have welcomed them back as it is a sign that their environment is returning to health.

A local group called “Thoothapuzha Samrakshana Samithi” have worked hard on a campaign to clean the river from both human waste and other pollution. At one point the smell from the river was so bad that people covered their noses when crossing the bridge but that has all changed.

There were other problems such as dynamite fishing – dynamite is thrown into the river and the explosions kill the fish so that it is easy to collect them. However this is extremely damaging to the environment and kills ALL the fish including rare species, and juveniles providing the next generation.

Sand mining changes the whole course of the river and its banks and so can be a great problem for otters and their holts.

The whole community became involved in the clean-up including the children and the whole process made everyone aware of how important the river is to the local people. 7 of 10

British Animal Honours 2013 IFAW Animal Action Wildlife Conservation Award Winner 2012 Award Winner www.otter.org IOSF e-update no. 63 March 2016

And their efforts have paid off. Fish numbers have gone up with the ban on dynamite fishing and water quality has improved which is clearly of benefit to the community as well as the otters.

IOSF’s good friend, Prof Hussain from the Wildlife Institute of India said ““Otters are the top predators in a wetland ecosystem. In the rivers, otters are what the tigers are in forests. So when they return, it means that there is enough to eat in the river and the ecosystem health is improving.”

And according to Hussain there are other benefits. With the increase in fish numbers some fishermen are able to return to their old livelihoods. Otters are also beneficial to the river system - they eat slow and diseased fish, preventing the spread of fish diseases and also prefer invasive fish species such as exotic tilapia and European carp, so helping populations of native species.

The villagers at Thootha may not understand high-brow concepts discussed at international environmental policy negotiations. However, they know very well that by cleaning the waters of the river they have made their lives much healthier and more sustainable and that the return of the otters is a sign that their efforts are bearing fruit. http://thewire.in/2016/03/28/otters-return-to-a-revitalised-kerala-river-26423/

Otter Trapped at Mill Creek's Wildlife Sanctuary, Ohio (Photo: North American River Otter by Shelanne Bulford, ARC) Recently there have been protests about staff dismissals at Mill Creek MetroParks but now they are worried about the safety of the wildlife after an otter was found in a trap at the park’s wildlife sanctuary. Fortunately the animal was still alive and it could be released safely. The incident was reported to the MetroParks police and then to the Ohio Division of Wildlife, and the owner of the traps, Dan Volpe, has been charged. He has a “nuisance trapping permit”, which are “issued on an annual basis by the MetroParks as part of recommended wildlife and habitat management activities in an effort to maintain ecological bio-diversity within our natural areas," – so says a prepared statement issued by the MetroParks.

Save the Wildlife in Mill Creek Park have used social media to say “The park had been warned that there were otters in that area and that special care needed to be taken, as the river otters are trying to make a population comeback. But the park, once again, has no regard for wildlife, and allowed someone to set up traps.”

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Jeff Harvey, president of the Audubon Society of Mahoning Valley, who found the otter, wrote to three park commissioners: “This activity was sanctioned by the park to control muskrats and beaver. I have told park staff that River otters have been seen at the sanctuary... Please, please bring some sanity to the park.”

We totally agree with you Jeff. http://www.vindy.com/news/2016/mar/01/public-activists-decry-trapping-otter-mill-creeks- /?newswatch

River Otters back in New Mexico River otters were once native to New Mexico but in the 1950s the last wild animal was killed in the Gila River. Now they are back thanks to Amigos Bravos, a water conservation group in Taos, and the local Department of Game and Fish. From 2008-2010 33 otters were reintroduced to the Upper Rio Grande and now they have photographic proof that they are breeding.

The otters are an important part of the ecosystem and help by eating invasive species such as crayfish, and there are now plans to reintroduce them to the Gila River.

"Amigos Bravos helped to form the New Mexico Friends of River Otters, which is a broad-based coalition formed to implement a strategy to promote the restoration of the river otter to the rivers of New Mexico. They are seeking help with River Otter Monitoring and you can find out more at http://amigosbravos.org/native-species#OtterIntro. For a video of the river otter re-introduction, please see the following link: http://amigosbravos.org/uploads/fck//file/river_otter_movie.mov

Product of the Month - Otter Shop (on Twitter @otter_shop and Facebook) Visit the Otter Shop Stationery Cupboard for a wide range of ottery greetings cards, notebooks and home office items, including these new additions to our store: www.ottershop.co.uk *new* *new* IOSF desk notepad IOSF pen with touch screen stylus

*back in stock* IOSF 4GB flash drive

Upcoming Events On 2 April 2016 the Somerset Wildlife Trust are looking for volunteers to help with monitoring otters and water voles. 9 of 10

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Interested? You can take part in their Training Day in Taunton. Contact: [email protected] for more information http://otter.org/Public/Events.aspx

Thanks… Our thanks this month go to: the Rufford Foundation, Lauren Dower, the Salamander Trust, Wolfgang Gettmann, Happy Otter Games, the Rainier American Association of Zookeepers, Weymouth Sea Life Park and to everyone who has been kind enough to make a donation towards our work.

Images ©IOSF unless otherwise indicated

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