Context:
Eurasian otters have been spotted in Gurez Valley (Kashmir) with the first live documentation in 25 years.
Eurasian otter:
- Members of the mammalian family and inhabit both marine and freshwater.
- Locally known as Vodur in Kashmir
- Habitat – Semi-aquatic, lives in water bodies, marshes, swamp forests, coastal areas etc.
- Crepuscular – Mainly active around dawn and dusk
- Carnivorous – Feeds on fish, crustaceans, amphibians
- Distribution –
- World: Europe, Asia and Africa.
- India: Himalayas, North East India and Western Ghats
- Conservation Status –
- IUCN List: Nearly Threatened
- Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule I
- CITES: Appendix I
- Threats – Pollution, poaching, habitat loss, accidental trapping etc.
Otters:
- Their presence indicates good water quality and ecosystem balance.
- India is home to 3 of the 13 species found worldwide.
- Other Otter Species in India – Smooth-coated otter (throughout India), and Small-clawed Otter (Himalayas and southern India).
Source: BL
Previous Year Question
Which one of the following makes a tool with a stick to scrape insects from a hole in a tree or a log of wood?
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2023 Prelims]
(a) Fishing cat
(b) Orangutan
(c) Otter
(d) Sloth bear
Answer: (b)