Sajid Raina
Bandipora, Jan 30: Once believed to be extinct in the Himalayan region, the elusive Eurasian otter has made a rare appearance in Gurez Valley, Bandipora district, sparking excitement among wildlife enthusiasts.
Otters are carnivorous mammals belonging to the Mustelidae family which includes weasels, badgers, minks etc. They are one of the top predators found in river ecosystems across the country.
A recent video which went viral on social media from Gurez Valley captures three of these semi-aquatic mammals feasting on rainbow trout in the Kishanganga River.
The footage, recorded by Wajid Munawar Shangoo, a resident of Markoot, offers a rare glimpse into the species that had seemingly vanished from Kashmir’s waterways.
Shangoo, recalled spotting an otter as a child in the early 2000s, but sightings have been exceptionally rare since. “This recent encounter has reignited interest in the region’s fragile aquatic ecosystem and the potential return of a species long thought to be lost,” he said.
After the sightings sparked excitement among wildlife enthusiasts, several experts said the authorities need to protect these otters as it is already on the verge of extinction.
An official said that the River Otter, also known as the Erosion Otter, was sighted for the first time in Gurez. “Although it was present in the area, no official sightings had been recorded before. The otter is an aquatic species that primarily lives in water,” he said.
One of the experts said that in winter, Gurez Valley remains untouchable from outsiders or tourists which keeps it clean, but in summer because of the tourism boom, the Kishanganga becomes a hub of garbage.
He said authorities need to take steps to control pollution in these border areas where biodiversity supports otters and other aquatic species. “These otters decline because of human activities and pressure on water bodies. No water bodies are without garbage, if we want to protect them we have to keep our water bodies clean,” he said.
Another wildlife expert said that the recent sightings are good news for the wildlife department. “Earlier on April 3, 2023, the researchers claimed to spot an Eurasian Otter near Tragbal in Gurez near the Line of Control (LoC),” he said, adding that the sightings reveal that the otter population has increased in the last three years and calls for its protection.
