KARACHI, July 27: Having a protected status across the country, over half a dozen smooth-coated otters have recently been found in the Makhi area of Nara Canal in Chhotiari reservoir of Sanghar district after a long time, it emerged on Friday.

The carnivorous mammal inhabits the wetlands of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh and their dwindling population indicates their habitat loss or degradation besides hunting practices.

“It’s the first time in more than five years that we have recorded six to eight otters since we started working in the area, though local communities on some occasions informed us of their existence in big groups. Six pups were spotted by our team in 2009,” said Saeed-ul-Islam, the natural resource management officer of WWF-P’s Indus for All Programme in Sanghar.

Different studies, he said, had shown good population of the animal in and around the Chhotiari reservoir. One such research estimated its population to be 86 in the area.

“Along with habitat degradation on account of water shortage and pollution, the other major threat the species faces is hunting by local communities, particularly private fish farm owners who see the animal as an enemy of their fish stocks. Hunting for skin has been controlled to a degree by the Sindh wildlife department,” he said, adding that the animal’s diet largely comprised fish apart from frogs, birds and some aquatic invertebrates including crabs.

“Otters ensure a healthy fish stock by eating weak and diseased fish and we have been highlighting this fact in our interaction with the local communities so they protect the unique animal present in their surroundings,” he said.

Regarding the animal’s behaviour, he said otters lived and hunted in groups and seemed to have adapted to life with human population as they were found to be tolerant of human activities.

“Otters are very energetic and playful. You even find them playing with the fish they catch as their food. It’s because of their adorable nature that some people have kept them as pets here. But the practice hasn’t developed as a trend,” he said.

Director of the Indus for All Programme Rab Nawaz said that the smooth-coated otter was considered an indicator of wetlands health and was sensitive to deterioration in water quality, toxicity and pollution in lakes.

“These animals are among the first species to disappear when their environment is contaminated by pollutants. Our organisation is engaging communities, government departments, NGOs and other stakeholders for the protection of this unique species which is declining at a fast pace,” he added.

He recommended declaration of otter sanctuary and community-based otter conservation initiatives, including measures for alternate livelihood and income generation for local communities.

Thirteen species of otter exist in the world but only two are found in Pakistan; smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) and the common or Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra). Smooth-coated otter is called as ludhro in Sindhi and oodh balao in Urdu. They have an average life span of between 10 and 15 years.

The existence of otters has been confirmed in 11 districts of Sindh: Kashmore, Ghotki, Sukkur, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Khairpur, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Jamshoro, Badin, Thatta and Mirpurkhas.