Wildlife SOS introduces a series “Things You Didn’t Know About” that explores fascinating and lesser-known facts about various species. Our writers spotlight one inhabitant of the wild, unveiling its unique characteristics and roles in the ecosystem. This article dives into the delightful world of otters — aquatic mammals that paddle through rivers, hunt with strategic teamwork, and also showcase a package of playful antics!
World Otter Day, celebrated on the last Wednesday of May, is the perfect opportunity to bring a bright spotlight on one of the most delightful yet underappreciated animals paddling through our rivers, estuaries, and coasts: the otter! These charismatic mammals belong to the Mustelidae family, making them close cousins of weasels, and are superbly adapted for life both in and out of water. Of the 13 species of otters found worldwide, India is home to three of them:
- Smooth-coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) – commonly found throughout the country’s rivers, lakes, and estuaries.
- Asian Small-clawed Otter (Aonyx cinereus) – the smallest otter in the world, found in mangroves of Northeast India and hill streams of Western Ghats.
- Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) – globally widespread but elusive and rare across India’s Himalayas, Western Ghats and central states.
Beyond their ecological significance, otters have a behaviour that can be described as jolly and playful by whoever gets to watch it – they’re either sliding down muddy riverbanks, wrestling with one another, or tossing pebbles in the air as if juggling. Their energetic antics, expressive personalities, and almost human-like curiosity is bound to leave us in wonder of how fascinating the animal kingdom is!
Since there’s so much more to discover about these delightful mammals, let’s take a closer look at some of the fascinating facts you probably didn’t know about otters – but definitely should!
1. Otters Have The Thickest Fur
Otters are the proud owners of the densest fur in the animal kingdom. Sea otters boast of having up to a million hairs per square inch that act like a natural drysuit that traps air for insulation. They lack the blubber (fat) that plays this role in other water animals like whales or seals. Even smooth-coated and Eurasian otters that are found in India are born with extremely dense, water-resistant fur that’s essential for their survival in cold or fluctuating temperatures.
But this very asset has led to widespread poaching of otters. In India, otter pelts are tragically used in illegal wildlife trade, with smooth-coated otters being the most targeted. The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 lists the Asian small-clawed and Eurasian otter under Schedule I and the smooth-coated otter under Schedule II, granting them the highest legal protection. Yet trafficking still exists, particularly for their skins and cubs for exotic pet trades. Conservationists warn that shiny coats come at a grave cost and are pushing their population to a decline.
2. They Use Tools and Teamwork to Hunt
Sea otters are among the few non-primate mammals known to use tools such as rocks to smash open shellfish. When it comes to working together in a team, smooth-coated otters, found across India’s river systems, are experts. They hunt in coordinated groups, often forming semicircles to herd fish into the shallows for easy ambush. Incredibly social, these otters communicate with whistles, chirps, and even screams. In the Amazon, giant otters live in tight-knit families and have been dubbed ‘river wolves’ for their apex predator status.
3. Otters Are Nature’s Water Quality Inspectors
Otters are what scientists call an indicator species — ones that respond to changes in their environment. They’re sensitive to pollution, prey scarcity, and human interference. When otters thrive, it’s usually a sign of their entire ecosystem — rivers, wetlands, and food chains — being healthy. Conversely, their absence is a giant red flag that a water body is suffering from industrial effluents, chemical run-offs, or habitat encroachment.
In India, wetland degradation is accelerating, with riverine systems choking on plastic and untreated sewage. Restoring otter populations isn’t just about protecting a species, but also about protecting the very rivers we depend on for drinking water, agriculture, and biodiversity.
4. Otter Families Hold Hands Even as they Lose Their Grip on Survival
Sea otters are famous for forming “rafts” in groups where they hold paws while they sleep, a behaviour that prevents them from drifting apart. Indian otters, too, are strongly social creatures, moving in family groups that depend on cooperative care, hunting, and territory defence.
But increasing disturbance from sand dredging, dam construction, and riverside tourism is fragmenting their habitat. These changes don’t just break up otter families — it breaks the entire system that sustains them.
5. Baby Otters Can’t Dive, But They Can Float Like Corks!
Otter pups, especially sea otter babies, are born with such fluffy, buoyant fur that they cannot dive as adults do. Their coats trap so much air that they float on the surface as their mother wraps them in kelp to keep them dry, while she continues with her hunt! In India, smooth-coated otter pups are also completely dependent on their mothers for food, protection, and survival skills.
Disturbances near nesting banks — like sand mining and riverside developments — can cause mothers to abandon dens. Without maternal care, otter pups have almost no chance of survival. Rescue operations by forest departments and NGOs occasionally save stranded pups, but long-term solutions lie in habitat security and public awareness, which is under much peril.
6. Smallest Otter has Tiny Paws, and a Big Challenge
The Asian small-clawed otter, found in select pockets in Northeast India and the Western Ghats, is the smallest otter in the world. Weighing under 5 kg, their paws resemble tiny human hands, capable of manipulating pebbles, molluscs, and even opening shells with clever movements.
But their charm has become their curse. Increasingly captured for illegal pet trade, they are smuggled across borders due to rising demand in Southeast Asian markets. Wildlife crime agencies report seizures of cubs hidden in luggage and cars or even through online advertisements. Listed as Vulnerable by IUCN and having Schedule I protection under Indian law make such trades criminal — yet enforcement remains sporadic.
7. Otters Eat Non-Stop
Otters have extremely high metabolisms, particularly sea otters and smooth-coated otters, requiring them to eat constantly to survive. Sea otters may also consume up to 25% of their body weight daily to maintain body heat in cold water. Their diet is a mix of fish, crabs, amphibians, and molluscs.
Unfortunately, overfishing, pesticide contamination in rivers, and invasive fish species are depleting their food sources. In several parts of India, local fishers see otters as competition and may retaliate with traps or poisons.
8. Otters Are Protected — But Not Always Safe
While all three Indian otter species are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, they remain critically under-studied and vulnerable. They are still being hunted for fur and body parts, and their wetland habitats are fast declining due to pollution and large-scale construction activities. They have also been taken over by agricultural fields. There are only a handful of dedicated otter conservation programmes in India that monitor otter population and awareness campaigns.
In the absence of strong data, especially population baselines, conservationists struggle to push for better protected areas or their inclusion in flagship species projects. A future for otters will require citizen involvement, research investment, and a firm will by authorities and policymakers.
This World Otter Day, celebrate otters not just with admiration for how adorable they look, but with awareness about this species. Otters are more than just pretty coats and whiskers — they’re tool-using, team-fishing, hand-holding, keystone species or our ecosystem! Let’s give otters the love and clean rivers they deserve!
To support our endeavours towards wildlife and habitat conservation, consider making a donation today. And to know more about the wonderful world of Wildlife SOS, subscribe to our newsletter!
Feature image: Canva
