The otter side

  • | Thursday | 27th February, 2020

Simran Ahuja ByExpress News ServiceBENGALURU: When it comes to otters in India, not much is known about these aquatic mammals. Getting involved with otter conservation, however, was a chance encounter, when Jain spent two months doing fieldwork in Maharashtra. Recently, Uttar Pradesh decided to implement an otter census, which we’ve only done for animals like tigers and elephants before. So there’s always hope for more change.”Closer homeAccording to Jain, in India, various otter species can be spotted in Kerala, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Orissa. It’s sad that most kids can’t identify birds, trees or insects from their surroundings but can easily identify logos and brands.

Simran Ahuja By Express News Service BENGALURU: When it comes to otters in India, not much is known about these aquatic mammals. So much so that they could go locally extinct from a place without anyone even realising. “There is a lot of scientific data on the kinds of habitats they prefer in India but what’s missing is large scale data sets about their distribution,” says Vinni Jain, a research fellow at the Centre for Wildlife Studies in Bengaluru. This then became one of the reasons Jain was motivated to take up a project that would have her collect this baseline data, which could eventually be used in long-term monitoring of otters. Slated to be a year-long project that begins in the upcoming months, the research will have Jain – who has a Master’s degree in ecology, evolution and conservation – shuttle between the city and Madhya Pradesh, where she will conduct research on smooth-coated and Eurasian otters. The plan is to go beyond collecting baseline data, says the 24-year-old, who adds, “I’m keen on studying how humans and otters co-exist with each other. There isn’t much existing information on the conflicts that exist between the two parties and how they interact with each other.” From her previous field work experience, Jain already knows that otters can be tolerant towards human activities but hopes to get an answer to just how far this tolerance can go. “There have been instances where the mammals have ripped up nets of fishermen, which is a loss for them. So if we understand their interactions better, there’s a chance we help mitigate such situations and aid a peaceful co-existence,” she explains. One could say Jain is living her childhood dream these days, having known since a young age that she would like to work with animals in any capacity possible. Getting involved with otter conservation, however, was a chance encounter, when Jain spent two months doing fieldwork in Maharashtra. The field work also had Jain walk 4km along banks of a river as she studied otter dens and tracks, and “worked with a lot of their poop.” Ask her about the first time she spotted one of them and she says, “It happened in our seventh week when we decided to just wait by a spot we knew they frequented. We were close to giving up after 2-3 hours but just then we spotted an entire group of wild otters playing in the water, which was such a surreal sight.” Currently, she is also involved in a crowdfunding campaign that aims to raise Rs 7 lakh for her upcoming project, of which Rs 60,000 has been raised in one week alone. While some might be intimidated by the scope of the project, especially considering the lack of data present, Jain is all too excited to get right into it. “Things are definitely looking up though. Recently, Uttar Pradesh decided to implement an otter census, which we’ve only done for animals like tigers and elephants before. So there’s always hope for more change.” Closer home According to Jain, in India, various otter species can be spotted in Kerala, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Orissa. Closer home, one can also spot the smooth-coated species along river Cauvery and small-clawed species at Kodagu, including some sightings at the IISC campus as well. “People living in urban areas tend to be disconnected with nature. It’s sad that most kids can’t identify birds, trees or insects from their surroundings but can easily identify logos and brands. We just need to get out more and explore. Because if we don’t appreciate these things, there’s no hope for nature,” she says.

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