Bijnor: For the first time, forest department officials have spotted a family of otters in Haidarpur wetland in Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary here. The wetland is connected to river Ganga. The sighting has come as a blessing as the National Green Tribunal recently pulled up UP government for high level of pollution in western UP rivers.According to experts, this fresh water predator is crucial to any wetland conservation programme and is an indicator of wetlands’ health and stability because of its innate nature to shun polluted waters. The otters’ presence indicate that quality of Ganga water is better than before and is conducive for regeneration of aquatic animals including otters, officials said. .The Haidarpur wetland spans 70 sq km area in the 2,074 sq km Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary and is known to be habitat for migratory birds which come from many part of the world during winter.After capturing the picture of one otter, divisional forest official M Semmaran said, “I was patrolling the area when I suddenly spotted a family of otters. They were big but disappeared in the water. I chased them and finally managed to click a picture of one big otter. We did not have any record of otter sightings in the area previously. This is the first time I have spotted these mammals in these waters. Now, we will keep a record of this vulnerable species.”These mammals, listed in schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, are rarely seen due to their extremely shy nature. They feed on fish, bird eggs and small creatures like frogs.Coordinator of WWF, Hastinapur Sanctuary, Shahnawaz said he had spotted otters in 2010 in the old Ganga area in Meerut district. There are three types of otters — smooth, common and small clout. “The mammal spotted in Haidarpur was a smooth otter, which is rare. This is the first time when it was sighted in Haidarpur wetland and backwaters of the Ganga,” he added.Joel Lyall, a wildlife expert, said there were plenty of otters in the waters around Ravali village in the 60s. But due to water pollution, agricultural activities and intrusion of human beings in their territories, otters had virtually disappeared from these parts. He said it was possible for otters to thrive again if humans did not disturb them.

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