Saving Otters

Hello, everyone.

Welcome to my new blog, “Helping Otters—Big and Small.”

I’m excited to be posting once again on Wildlife Direct.  My first blog, “Gorilla Doctors,” ran from October 2007 through July 2009. Here’s the link. I loved writing about my patients—and reading everyone’s comments.  Even better, the blog did what it was intended to do.  It raised thousands of dollars for the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project. Though most of the donations were small, they added up.  I hope we can do just as much, if not more, for the otters.

Sappho, female Giant Otter, Guyana, SA, September 2006

Otters have occupied a special place in my heart ever since I read Ring of Bright Water by Gavin Maxwell.  There’s something very endearing about these athletic, powerful, and playful animals.  In some ways, they remind me of dogs.  In other ways, they’re cat-like.  They can be tamed, but only to a point, as Maxwell and many other people have discovered.  Ultimately, water is their home.

It wasn’t until I was in my late twenties, during my zoological medicine residency, that I discovered there were 13 species of otter, found all over the world.  This is a fascinating fact in itself.  Otters are the top predators in their aquatic environments, which means their presence—or absence—can be used as an indicator of ecosystem heath.  This animal is found only in clean water, and only in places where they have plenty of food.  Where there are fish, or crabs, or kelp, or abalone, there must be otters!

Rupununi River, Karanambu, Guyana, SA

The more I’ve worked with otters, the more my interest has grown. The first species I studied was the North American River Otter.  During the course of a three-year relocation program in North Carolina, I developed several different anesthetic protocols for use in a field setting, and examined hundreds wild otters.  This experience proved invaluable as I progressed in my career and had the opportunity to treat a variety of otter species.  Since then, I haven’t missed an opportunity to learn as much as I can about these animals.  So far, I’ve treated or observed–either in the wild or in zoos–all but one of the species.  I’ve yet to see a hairy-nosed otter.

Sappho, Karanambu, January 2005

It was only recently that I learned Maxwell’s otter was a product of the wildlife trade.  He bought a Smooth-Coated Otter–from Iraq–on the streets of London.  Sadly, Maxwell’s endearing pet is tragically killed, but not until after it befriends a wild otter.  When three cubs return to Maxwell’s pond, he believes they must be his pet’s offspring.   That seems questionable, since the only otter native to the British Isles is the European River Otter.  If it did happen, then they were hybrid otters.  Unless, of course, someone else living in the same area had also bought the same species of otter from an animal dealer.

Sappho, Karanambu, March 2005

I don’t mean to sound overly critical–it’s just that we have to get smarter about these animals in order to save them.  For example, I’ve just returned from South America, which is home to four species of otter.  Three are endangered, which means their numbers are down to just a few thousand each.  These are the Giant Otter, the South American River Otter, and the Marine Otter.  There is insufficient data about the fourth, the Neotropical Otter.

As conservationist Baba Dioum once said, we will protect only what we love, and love only what we know.  We’re in a race against time to learn more about the otters of the world, especially those that are relatively unstudied.  Without knowledge, we cannot manage them “as wild.”  We need to know where they range, what they prefer as food, which diseases they are susceptible to, what kinds of habitat loss they can tolerate, and how they interact with people, both positively and negative.

Sappho, as a cub, Karanambu, April 2004

Fortunately, there are a number of excellent conservation groups and dozens of scientists whose work is focused on otters.  This blog is dedicated to them.  I hope it will raise both awareness and money!

When there’s otter news, I’ll write about it.  I’ll also include updates on the conservation status of all 13 species.  Mostly, though, I’ll be writing about my experiences with a very special group of otters: the Giants of Karanambu.  I’ve set up the donation page on Wildlife Direct to raise funds for their protection.

Next week, I’ll start with more about Karanambu, my friend Diane–otherwise known as, “the otterly delightful lady of the Rupununi,” and officially introduce a recent giant otter orphan named Buddy.

In the meantime, here are a few links about the North Rupununi Wetlands located in Southwestern Guyana, South America, and Diane McTurk’s
Karanambu Ranch & Lodge.

~Lucy

PS  Thanks to all at Wildlife Direct for having me back!