Eurasian Otter Discovered in Kerala

GS Paper III Environment

Context: Recently, a team of researchers have discovered Eurasian otter in the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary in Idukki, a first in Kerala.

Kerala Witnesses Rare Eurasian Otter

This discovery from the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is the first official record of Eurasian otter in Kerala.
There are three species of otters found in Kerala, including smooth-coated otter and small-clawed otter.

Eurasian Otter

It is a captivating semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia.
Habitat: The Eurasian otter lives in a wide variety of aquatic habitats, including highland and lowland lakes, rivers, streams, marshes, swamp forests and coastal areas.
Distribution: It is distributed throughout three continents i.e., Europe, Asia and Africa.
- In India, it occurs in northern, northeast and southern India.
Conservation Status:
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Near Threatened
- Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Appendix I
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
They are shy and nocturnal and are found near small streams in the interior forests and hunt their prey during the night.

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the rain shadow region of the Western Ghats in Idukki, Kerala.
Year of formation: 1984
Flora:
- The major portion of the area is covered with grasslands. There were also several patches of shoals.
- The sanctuary has a unique thorny scrub forest with xerophytic species.
- Acacia arabica, Acacia leucofolia, Acacia concinna, Prosporis juliflora, and Opuntia dillenii.
Fauna: Elephant, Gaur, panther, spotted deer, Sambar, Grizzled giant squirrel, Hanuman monkey etc are the common mammals.