e-update 35, November 2013 · 2015-04-17 · IOSF e-update no. 35 – November 2013 4 of 10 British Animal Honours 2013 IFAW Animal Action

www.otter.org IOSF e-update no. 35 – November 2013

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British Animal Honours 2013 IFAW Animal Action Wildlife Conservation Award Winner Award Winner 2012

Coastal otters must have access

to freshwater...

20 years ago this month IOSF was born. You have already read about the

cubs we have worked with both in our own sanctuary and in various countries abroad. We have told you about our education work, conferences, otter surveys, and international projects. But we have also done a lot of scientific research ourselves, particularly Paul. Paul completed his PhD in 1999 and his research focussed on the way otters use the coastal zone on Skye. For a long time most research on the Eurasian otter had centred on freshwater otters, but Hans Kruuk did a lot of work on Shetland. Paul found that the distribution of otters varied around the Skye coastline so he decided to investigate why. The main factors controlling the distribution of any animal population are availability

of food, water and good habitat, including the availability of suitable shelter. Coastal otters must have access to freshwater to wash the salt out of their fur and for some reason they seem to prefer freshwater pools to running water in streams. Otters also hunt in shallow water so if the shoreline is too steep it restricts the area they can use. So Paul looked at the availability of prey, holt sites, the slope of the coastline and freshwater pools. The availability of prey was the same all around the coast. Paul has a background in geology and he found that the geological composition of the coastline actually influenced otter distribution.

e-update 35, November 2013

http://www.otter.org/


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This is because it affects the steepness of the shore, holts and particularly freshwater pools. If the rocks are non-porous water collects in pools and the otters' home ranges are relatively small. However, if the rocks are porous or highly cracked there are few pools so the home ranges are larger. The Torridonian sandstone in Sleat is cemented with silica which makes it non-porous and here a female may have a home range of only 2-3km. However, the basalt lavas in the north of the island are so

cracked that pools do not build up and so here the home range may be 12km. This research can be used to identify potentially good coastal areas for otters which should be recognised as a priority in conservation. We have also

been recording otter deaths for over 25 years and 80% of non-natural deaths are on the roads. On Skye we were losing about 12-17 otters a year on the roads and so we trialled the use of wildlife warning reflectors. These had been used to keep kangaroos off the roads in Australia and also for deer in Germany and Scotland. They are basically a complex prism system and when the car headlight hits the reflector it bounces a beam of light at right angles into the road verges. This has no effect on the driver but startles the otter, or any other animal approaching, and when the car has passed it can cross in safety. We put the reflectors at hot spots on the Island where there had been three or more mortalities within five years. After the installation of the reflectors road deaths at these sites decreased by 73% and so they have now also been used on Shetland and Orkney. Their main limitation is that they cannot be used on busy roads as there will be a constant stream of light. In the late 1990s we were involved in otter post mortem work and analysis for pollutants. Until recently this work was carried out in England and Wales with the support of the Environment Agency (EA) but there has never been similar support for such work in Scotland. EA has now stopped funding the Cardiff University Otter Project who carries out the work for England and Wales, but they are looking into alternative options so that the work can continue. We also hope to be able to send our Scottish otters to them soon so that we can monitor the health of our otters too.

Freshwater pool used by otter [Photo: A Chuet]



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Smooth-coated otter cubs born at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre (photos Nick Marx, Wildlife Alliance) Nick Marx of Wildlife Alliance recently gave us some exciting news from Phnom Tamao. "One pair of smooth-coated otters has been childless for many years and I thought there was some kind of problem. Apparently not. They have just produced 2 pups. Mum is doing a good job. Initially she got stressed when anyone went near the cage, but we have put screening up and things have settled down. She now takes the pups out for a wash each day - a bit young for all that I would have thought, but all seems to be fine." In February we told you about a new smooth-coated otter which had arrived at the Centre. A new enclosure was needed for the new otter, called Rolong, and so he had to be kept in the quarantine area as a temporary measure. We were grateful to Colchester Zoo who provided the funding for the new enclosure which has just been finished, although Rolong hasn't moved in yet.

Nick also sent this photo of an Asian small-clawed otter which has been at the Centre for over two years now. Asian small-clawed otters are rare in Cambodia and are now only known in the northeast of the country so this is quite an important little guy.

Rescued Otters We have been very busy since the last e-update, both here at the sanctuary and also in our support for work abroad.



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UK Shamrock and Isleornsay have gone back to the wild and at the end of September a feisty young male cub arrived from Lochinver. Jasper was certainly a challenge to feed but luckily it wasn't too long until he started to feed himself. He is now in an outdoor nursery pen where he has his own pool and soon we hope he will have company. Another cub arrived from the Isle of Mull a couple of weeks ago. He seems so angelic but looks can be so misleading. He is even feistier than Jasper!! He was quite reluctant to feed himself and certainly didn't want to be fed by us! Fortunately he is now tucking into whole fish himself and will soon go out to join Jasper. We hope that the two lads will get on. And on Friday we had a phone call from Cumbria as a cub had been found walking around on a busy road. We arranged for it to go to Sarah at the Aquarium of the Lakes - you will remember that she looked after Bubble and Squeak before they came up to Skye.

Jasper



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It is obviously very early days but he is eating and, once we are sure he can make the long journey, a decision will be made to transfer him to Skye. Unfortunately not all the cubs which come in survive, and these times are very sad.

We had a tiny wee guy from Ardelve who just stole

our hearts. Little Jack was feeding well but just didn’t put on any weight although he was very active. One morning he crashed and died, so we sent him for post mortem in Cardiff but nothing significant was found. When we watch television, post mortems always seem to find the answer but unfortunately this isn't always the case. If you would like to support our cubs in

the Sanctuary you can send a cheque

marked "Hospital" on the back or make a donation online at www.ottershop.co.uk As I said, we have also been busy with cubs abroad and are currently helping people looking after otters in the Philippines, Namibia and Guatemala. Asia On 1 October, Diana Limjoco was brought three tiny Asian small-clawed otter cubs, after their mother was killed by a villager. Diana had already been in touch with us previously after she saw otters being advertised for sale and although she lives in the Philippines we passed this information on to our friends in Indonesia to investigate. So, when Diana received these cubs she immediately contacted us for help and advice. Although their eyes were still closed she soon had them taking non-lactose milk from a bottle every two hours.

Otter in a box - Mangal arrived from Mull


http://www.ottershop.co.uk/


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The three cubs are all male and have been named Owen, Oscar and Omar and they are so adorable. They have now opened their eyes and are very active. Each day Diana takes them down for a walk and little swim in a nearby creek. You can watch a lovely video of them on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS0JvonAyTI&feature=youtu.be

We were obviously very concerned after the disastrous typhoon in the Philippines but fortunately Diana lives in an area which has not been so badly affected. We feel for all the poor people who have suffered and continue to do so, but it will also have had a terrible effect on the wildlife and domestic animals. Africa At the end of October our friend Charlie Paxton in Namibia received a call from

Johan and Cherie at Kalizo Lodge on the Zambezi River after they were brought a spotted-necked otter cub. Apparently the poor little soul was very stressed and fragile when she arrived. The person who brought her came by bicycle and she had been bounced around in a sack on their back. But she

still had her fighting spirit and gave Cherie a good nip when she tried to take her out of the sack. However with plenty of TLC she soon calmed down and began to take milk. They have called her Arial and she is now coming on well. South America Also at this time, from the other side of the world in Guatemala, Meagan Ephraim emailed the Paxtons to say that about six weeks before she had received a five-week old baby Neotropical otter. She had been caring for her and she was growing into a very healthy otter. Meagan wrote "I try to keep her as "wild" as I can by walking her down to the river where she swims, and I also try to bring down the fish there so she can eat in the water." The plan is that the little otter, Lola, will be taken to a centre which has experience in rearing cubs for release. Naturally Meagan will miss her little charge but she knows it is the best for her.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS0JvonAyTI&feature=youtu.be


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Heavy rains pose a

threat to young cubs as the water levels rise.

Three years ago when Mazu came to the Chapmans a network of people quickly developed including vets, scientists and those who had hands-on experience of caring for otters. The experience of these people is invaluable and they have all helped so much with their expert advice to provide the best care for these cubs. Many thanks to them all.

News from India Apoorva recently sent us some information she had received from her field area in Karnataka. Her field assistant cum fisherman Shivu, reported seeing a large number of otter cubs already although it is unusual for cubs in September-October, as they usually appear in December. Apoorva is worried as the rains are heavy, which poses a threat to young cubs as the water levels rise flooding the small islands where the otters have their holts. Also, these cubs will become more vulnerable to poachers. So Apoorva has asked Shivu to keep a watch morning and evening during his fishing time and alert her if he finds any signs of suspicious people around otter holts. She is also hoping to visit the area soon. Apoorva's project, working with the fishermen in Karnataka has been so positive that we now have an otter protector in Shivu too.

Photographic Competition Winners Thank you to those of you who entered our competition. We received excellent entries which made choosing the winners very difficult. It was surprising that the ‘Other Otter Species’ category received the most entries. Congratulations go to:

April Severin for her Sea Otter photo "California Clamming" (Winner of the Other Otter Species category)



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and to: Terry Swainbank for his photo "Otter (Mother) Swimming(Winner of the Eurasian Otter category)

Road Development Threatens Neotropical Otters in Trinidad It was reported in the Trinidad Express that a Neotropical otter had been seen right beside construction works for a new road from Debe to Mon Desir. It appears that the new road had cut off access to the mouth of the river Tarouba which runs parallel to the new roadway.

Near to the site protestors against the road construction have set up camp as they say it will destroy the ecology of the area. Clearly the plight of the otter underlines their conviction but, of course, the developers deny this. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Otter-loses-his-way-227322831.html http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/More-otters-may-be-affected-says-zoo-227466991.html

Dieldrin, PCBs etc still found in Illinois Otters – and they can trap them! Post mortem reports have shown that American river otters in central Illinois are still contaminated with high levels of both organochlorines and PCBs even though these chemicals were banned at least 30 years ago. In fact the recent analysis showed that dieldrin levels were higher than in tests carried out in 1984 and 1989 even though dieldrin was banned in 1987. Levels of PCBs were the same and these were banned in 1979. This shows just how long these chemicals remain in our environment and how great is the potential damage to our wildlife and to ourselves.

Neotropical Otter [Photo: Trevor Watson]


http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Otter-loses-his-way-227322831.html

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Otter-loses-his-way-227322831.html

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/More-otters-may-be-affected-says-zoo-227466991.html

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/More-otters-may-be-affected-says-zoo-227466991.html


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We must all hope that this attitude will spread and that all wildlife,

in particular otters, will now

get more protection.

American River Otters [Photo: Tanya Thiboudeaux]

This is worrying for otters in all areas, not just Illinois. However, in that state otters are only just recovering from a severe threat of local extinction. By the early 1900s

otters were extremely rare and it is believed that numbers dropped as low as 100. So there was a reintroduction programme from 1994-1997 and somehow by 2009 the numbers had miraculously risen to an estimated 11,000. In 2013, less than 20 years after the reintroduction programme, it was proudly announced that the first trapping season in Illinois for over 80 years had resulted in about 2,000 otters being killed. It is hardly progress when an animal is brought back from extinction only

for it to be hunted again! http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112976196/river-otters-illinois-contaminated-banned-chemicals-101613/

Positive news from China Although clearly this news item is not directly related to otters it is still an encouraging sign that conservation is beginning to be seen as a higher priority in China. Shark fin soup has long been regarded as a delicacy for special guests but it was pushing some species of shark towards extinction. However the demand for this soup has plummeted recently as it is no longer regarded as "fashionable". Even the government has now banned it from official events and within the last two years consumption of shark fin soup in China has dropped by 50-70%. We must all hope that this attitude will spread and that all wildlife, in particular otters, will now get more protection. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/in-china-victory-for-wildlife-conservation-as-citizens-persuaded-to-give-up-shark-fin-soup/2013/10/19/e8181326-3646-11e3-89db-8002ba99b894_story.html?goback=.gde_136613_member_5797662161266290692#

Thanks Marjorie Coote Animal Charity Trust William Dean Countryside Education Trust The Seven Pillars of Wisdom Trust Mrs D M France-Hayhurst Charitable Trust Dr Wolfgang Gettmann and Nemo otter (a donation for Nemo’s 8th birthday)


http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112976196/river-otters-illinois-contaminated-banned-chemicals-101613/

http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112976196/river-otters-illinois-contaminated-banned-chemicals-101613/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/in-china-victory-for-wildlife-conservation-as-citizens-persuaded-to-give-up-shark-fin-soup/2013/10/19/e8181326-3646-11e3-89db-8002ba99b894_story.html?goback=.gde_136613_member_5797662161266290692




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Weymouth Sealife Adventure Park held a fundraising evening to help several charities, including IOSF. The event was a success and IOSF is grateful for not only receiving a donation from the evening, but also for the opportunity to display information about its work. Thank you also to everyone for their generous donations and spending time raising funds for IOSF.

Christmas Shopping @ www.ottershop.co.uk Planning your main spend for Christmas? If you are shopping online – think Otters!

Look out for Special Offers happening at the Otter Shop

Remember, not only do we have lots of great otter-themed gifts at the Otter Shop, but you can also shop elsewhere on-line and still help us by registering with Give As You Live or Spend and Raise (if you haven’t already done so). Through these sites, thousands of stores will donate a percentage of every pound you spend to your chosen charity. At no extra cost to you. It is so simple and convenient. Links to both of these web sites can be found at the end of the e-newsletter. Other great ways that you can help the otters:

Scrap or auction your old car with Give a Car – Free

Don’t throw out your old but still wearable clothing

Search the web and every click of your mouse will help with Everyclick.com

Visit our web page Help IOSF where you can find out more about these great fundraising ideas. www.everyclick.com www.spendandraise.com/iosf/ www.charitycards.otter.org

International Otter Survival Fund

7 Black Park Broadford

Isle of Skye IV49 9DE Scotland

Email: [email protected] Tel/Fax: ++(0)1471 822487

Join our IOSF mailing list. Click on this link:

http://eepurl.com/bLTvv

www.otter.org

The International Otter Survival Fund

Working to Save the Worlds Otters


http://www.ottershop.co.uk/

http://www.otter.org/howYouCanHelp.aspx

http://www.everyclick.com/internationalottersurvivalfund

http://www.spendandraise.com/iosf/

http://charitycards.otter.org/

http://eepurl.com/bLTvv


Documents

e-update 35, November 2013 · 2015-04-17 · IOSF e-update no. 35 – November 2013 4 of 10 British Animal Honours 2013 IFAW Animal Action