INTRODUCTION . The villagers at Thootha do not understand concepts discussed at international climate negotiations. Hussain and his then student K.R. In the process, the otters have returned, indicating that their efforts are bearing fruit. Ceremonial Arattu procession of Lord Padamanbha. Starting from the Western Ghats and flowing through three districts – Palakkad, Malappuram and Thrissur – the river’s water supports thousands of acres of rice fields and other farmland. “This activity raised the awareness of the community on their relationship with the river ecosystem and the need for its conservation,” said Mohammed Iqbal, a local businessman. Already featuring 8500 plus videos, new video content is added every day to this free-to-use website. Being the apex predators in the aquatic system, they help in maintaining a good fish population.”. Fortunately, it is not so today.”. Three species of otters inhabit India, and the Smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) is common in Kerala (Menon, 2014) and mainly feeds on fishes (Prater, 1965).Bite attacks of otters on humans were reported from North America (Lontra canadensis) (Potter et al., 2007) and South America (Pteronura brasiliensis) (McTurk and Spelman, 2005). This is a good indication.”, “We have been working to stop open defecation on the river banks, and also dumping of waste,” said Nasser Thootha, a social and political activist. Group Bull. There is water in the wells and enough flowing in the river for people to wash and bathe. Asian small clawed otter or small-clawed otters are smallest otter species, inhabits swamps, ... here is the list of best rivers to spot otters in India and the list also includes Thuthapuzha river in Kerala,Moyar river in Tamil Nadu, Tapi River in Gujarat and Brahmaputra River in Assam. The adjoining Bharatapuzha, into which Thoothapuzha empties its contents downstream, is running dry, and the panchayats taking their drinking water from wells on the riverbank have asked for water from elsewhere. Svenn, the otter, was discovered by his human parents on their garden when he was a little baby. The river is in no hurry as it lazes past Thootha village, flowing between reed clumps and jumping over half-buried rocks. IUCN Otter Spec. Currently a forest officer in Rajasthan, K.R. Otters are apex predators in a riverine ecosystem. River Otter. Ltd. 2020. Wild dogs hunting deer in Thekkady, Kerala. Villagers in Thootha say the return of the otters could have been due to the river conservation activities they have been carrying out in the recent years. Sini, Aliparamb panchayat president, new programmes on environment conservation will be launched when her team starts its work in the new financial year starting April 1. Bharatapuzha is one of the most important rivers of Kerala. According to M.V. Also, they have gifted themselves climate resilience, protecting them from the present hot and dry weather. All rights reserved © Invis Multimedia Pvt. They also prefer to eat the invasive fish species, thus maintaining the population of the native species. Starting mid-February, Kerala is experiencing high heat and dry weather. Though it is not unusual for Kerala to be hot in February-March as a precursor to southwest monsoon that is timed to reach the coast in June, the dry weather is unusual. So when they return, it means that there is enough to eat in the river and the ecosystem health is improving.”. Many of the River Otters can swim at an average speed of seven miles per hour. “Around 15 years ago, we stopped seeing them totally, and now we see them occasionally in areas where there aren’t much human movement. Anoop had studied the presence of otters in Kerala’s rivers as a student at the WII. Keep watching India Video. The residents of Thootha remember to have seen them in plenty nearly two decades ago. The content on India is created for travellers and tourists besides students and academics. More follow-up action is needed to build on this initiative to conserve the smooth-coated and small-clawed otter population. The re-emergence of otters in the Thoothapuzha flowing along the district border has brought cheers to the people dedicated to the conservation of the river. Nasser says the group has requested the local panchayat (village council) to allocate funds for cleaning the river. In Kerala, River Otters are protected in some of the wildlife sanctuaries. Currently a forest officer in Rajasthan, K.R. It indicates that the ecological health of the river has improved, there is plenty to eat for the otters, and there is a natural habitat safe enough for them to breed. Thus the ecosystems they are part of too would be better off, and more resilient,” Aathira said. The ecosystem services from Thoothapuzha are tangible. “Otters move along locations in a river searching for good living conditions. “We keep watch at night to prevent drivers from taking their trucks into the river for washing. Being the apex predators in the aquatic system, … India Video launched in 2007 in association with UNESCO, New Delhi, has in store thousands of text and videos on Indian subjects like Indian culture, history, travel, art, heritage, yoga, beauty, cuisine, food, health, major Government of India websites, government institutions and events.. “They are adaptable animals, and their ability to adjust to changes in water levels – and consequently, food resources – could hold them in good stead in the face of climate change. Smooth-coated otter range Synonyms; Lutra perspicillata. The smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) is an otter species occurring in most of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with a disjunct population in Iraq.It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1996 and is threatened by habitat loss, pollution of wetlands and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade. The smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) is an otter species occurring in most of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with a disjunct population in Iraq.It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1996 and is threatened by habitat loss, pollution of wetlands and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade. They eat slow and diseased fish, preventing the spread of fish diseases. The presence of otters also benefits the river system, according to Hussain. Wildlife biologist Aathira Perinchery says otters are considered bio-indicators since their presence signifies improvement in water quality and availability of fish and other aquatic animals. Otters have returned to Thoothapuzha. Being carnivorous, the diet of various species of otters includes fishes, crabs, frogs, crayfish and shellfishes. Similarly, the group’s effort to prevent sand mining in the river has met with reasonable success, though they have not been able to stop it completely. Mandovi River – Goa . River Otter is a carnivorous marine animal distributed all over the world. “Otters move along locations in a river searching for good living conditions. OLX Kerala offers online local classified ads in Kerala. Water quality improved when a starch factory upstream stopped its operations because of financial unviability,” he observed. Find the best Plotter price! Closer home, one can also spot the … They are Eurasian Otter (Lutra Lutra), Smooth-coated Otter (Lutra Perspicillata) and Small-clawed Otter (Aonyx Cinerea).