Save the Otters!

As precious and lovable as otters are, it isn't all sunshine and rainbows. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, five out of thirteen otter species are endangered.

Endangered

Giant Otter

A giant otter laying across a log
"Photo 28266606" by Bruce Kirchoff, licensed under CC BY 4.0

Threats:

  • Poaching for pelt trade
  • Deforestation
  • Water pollution
  • Persecution

Marine Otter

A marine otter on a rock
"Photo 265316650" by Daniel Stange, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

Threats:

  • Persecution
  • Overfishing
  • Pollution from mining/oil spills
  • Disease

Sea Otter

A sea otter in the water
"Photo 311432614" by Marshal Hedin, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Threats:

  • Oil spills
  • Accidental trapping in fishing nets
  • Disease
  • Climate change

Hairy-nosed Otter

A hairy-nosed otter walking forward
"Photo 200275" by IOSF1957, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Threats:

  • Deforestation
  • Illegal animal trade
  • Dam construction
  • Accidental trapping in fishing nets

Southern River Otter

A Southern river otter with its mouth open while in the water
"Photo 90285379" by Flavio Camus, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

Threats:

  • Urbanization/tourism
  • Water use by humans
  • Predation/disease from dogs
  • Poaching

Vulnerable

Asian Small-clawed Otter

Two Asian small-clawed otters on a tree stump
"Photo 172577377" by Mibby 23, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

Threats:

  • Habitat destruction
  • Poaching for the pelt trade
  • Illegal pet trade
  • Water pollution

Smooth-coated Otter

Two smooth-coated otters sniffing the ground
"Photo 11151434" by Catalina Tong, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

Threats:

  • Habitat loss/urbanization
  • Trapping/illegal trade
  • Climate change
  • Disease

Near Threatened

Eurasian Otter

A Eurasian otter running through the snow
"Photo 13862660" by Bird Explorers, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

Threats:

  • Overfishing
  • Construction near/on water sources
  • Pollution
  • Accidental trapping in fishing nets

African Clawless Otter

An African clawless otter in a river
"Photo 9025249" by markus lilje, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Threats:

  • Deforestation
  • Water draining/extraction
  • Poaching for the pelt trade
  • Persecution

Spotted-necked Otter

Two spotted-necked otters laying by leaves on some rocks
"Photo 74918795" by Marc Henrion, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

Threats:

  • Habitat loss
  • Water pollution
  • Poaching for the pelt trade
  • Climate change

Neotropical Otter

A neotropical otter scratching itself while in the water
"Photo 13141335" by Rich Hoyer, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Threats:

  • Poaching for the pelt trade
  • Habitat loss
  • Industrial waste/oil spills
  • Disease

Congo Clawless Otter

A Congo clawless otter
"Photo 4258302" by IOSF1957, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Threats:

  • Deforestation
  • Overfishing
  • Hunting for bushmeat
  • Human development/construction

Least Concern

North American River Otter

A North American river otter swimming on its back
"Photo 112643194" by Jon Nelson, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Threats:

  • Fur trapping
  • Water pollution
  • Habitat loss
  • Disease

Want to save the otters?

Then I recommend helping to raise awareness, especially regarding pollution, hunting, and habitat loss. No one's too small to make a difference! I also recommend doing further research on your own- the OSG is a great place to start. It and its parent organization, the IUCN, were the sources of much of the information I used. They were a big help and have lots of additional info you can explore.

Alright, thank you for bearing with me through this more serious talk! I leave you with a lovely video of the Sea Otter Encounter experience from the lovely Georgia Aquarium!