OTTERS!

When the year of research was
over, I had changed. I was an
Ethologist, I was a researcher
and, more importantly, I was an
Otter Conservationist. Nothing
had prepared me for the surprise
when I realised that I didn’t need
to go to Africa or South America to
come across such a fascinating
and understudied animal. That is
the beauty of the otter – anyone
and everyone can find an
association that works with otters,
an animal that is so important
for every wetland and so many
coastal habitats, in their own
countries. And otters, everywhere,
need our help – by spreading
the word we can create more
awareness and therefore more
interest and protection. Just walk
out to the nearest river and start
looking. Except for those that live
in Australia. They have platypuses,
and that’s more than enough.
A captive Eurasian otter
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