Oh, scat: On an otter trail in the Goan hinterland

On Earth Day, we put the spotlight on two ecologists who are studying and working on the conservation of these enigmatic creatures on the island of Chorao in Goa

How do you know if otters have been in an area? You look for poop. Lots of poop.

That’s the first lesson I learn before I set out on an adventure of the unconventional kind on an island in Goa. Today, I’m meeting ecologist Katrina Fernandez (PhD), who, along with Kshitij Garg, is the founder of Wild Otters Research, an organisation that focuses on wildlife research, education and outreach when it comes to otters and other meso mammals like mongooses and porcupines.

Katrina is taking me out on a wetlands walk to help me discover more about the otters that live in the wild, in the water bodies of Chorao. Located across the Mandovi River, this island is a paradise. Home to diverse flora and fauna, it is a lush landscape that also houses the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary. It’s no surprise, then, that the duo chose it as the base of their operations.

Right at the start, Katrina warns me that otters are shy creatures. “Any sighting will be a bonus,” she says with a smile. We set off down a mud path that leads us into the bandhs that make up the khazan lands in the neighbourhood. Khazans are reclaimed lands from the river or sea, used for agriculture, aquaculture or salt panning. These days, in Chorao, they are almost exclusively used for aquaculture, according to Katrina.

Sniffing around

As we are walking, Katrina tells me how she got into researching otters. “I have always been interested in studying animals that are not considered charismatic,” she says, adding that she’s referring to animals that don’t attract any funding, unlike species such as the tiger and the elephant.

When they founded Wild Otters Research, Katrina and Kshitij knew they needed to find a way to bring in money without applying for grants — which can’t always be relied on — or using ecotourism as bait. “Doing ecotourism in India felt hypocritical to me. Because on one hand, we are saying there are too many people that are destroying the habitat. And in the same breath, you’re saying you need to bring more people in to see this habitat. It made no sense,” says Katrina.

Finally, Wild Otters Research decided to go down the route of educating the next generation of ecologists. They started offering internships to budding scientists from all across the world, teaching them not only to collect and report data, but also training them on how to talk to laymen, manage an organisation, and how to make the best use of social media to reach a wider audience. They also host theoretical and practical experiences for schools, as well as university staff.

She goes on to explain that there are 13 species of otters around the world, of which two — the smooth-coated otter and the small-clawed otter — can be found in Goa. While the former eats a predominantly fish diet, the latter prefers to eat prawns and other crustaceans.

One minute Katrina is busy in conversation with me, the next, she has paused, and has an excited look on her face. “See all these droppings here? This is an otter defecation area.” She picks up a scat and starts pulling it apart. “I like to see what we can find in here. Sometimes it’s prawn tails, sometimes it’s an eel jaw, or fish scales. You can tell exactly what an otter has eaten from its poo,” says Katrina. She encourages me to sniff the scat. It smells, well, fishy, but not particularly unpleasant.

We wait a while to see if any otters are lurking around in the waters on either side of the bandh. No such luck. After a few minutes, we continue down the path.

Along the way, we stop to spot some stunning wooly necked storks and egrets through our binoculars. We also find owl droppings under a tree, and you can see the look of joy on her face again. “Yes, we dig around through a lot of shit,” she says, laughing.

Conflicts galore

We’re keeping our eyes and ears peeled for any signs of otter life. Meanwhile, we continue our conversation, as the animals are used to human presence, thanks to the fishermen who use these trails all the time.

But the same fishermen are also a source of conflict as far as the otters of Chorao are concerned. “The otters tend to enter the khazans looking for fish and crabs. Fishermen depend on these pools for their livelihoods, so when they see an otter eating their fish, their first instinct is to target it,” explains Katrina.

The second issue is one of changing landscapes. “We’re modifying their habitat. Now, what were once traditional bandhs with gradual slopes are slowly being replaced by high, vertical concrete walls.” It’s impossible for otters, with their short and stubby limbs, to traverse these walls.

Katrina comes from the school of thought that conservation needs to be looked at from the lens of community ecology, which means that all organisms living in a certain habitat are interlinked. This includes understanding a habitat with humans as a species existing within it, and not separate from it.

When it comes to otters, it turns out the biggest threats to their existence are feral dogs and, you guessed it, humans. “We found that they are more vigilant in a human-dominated landscape. Why do they need to do this when they’re apex predators? Because humans are their predators at the end of the day,” says Katrina. She adds, “Yet another thing we found that was increasing vigilance behaviour? Climate change.” Chew on that for a bit.

Katrina stops to show me one of the camera traps they have installed, and explains how it captures otter families’ movements and helps them study their behaviour. We are now at the end of the trail, watching the setting sun melt into the horizon.

As I get on to the ferry to get back to the mainland, I’m far from disappointed. No otters may have been spotted on this walk, but I came away with learnings that are far more valuable.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are independent views solely of the author(s) expressed in their private capacity and do not in any way represent or reflect the views of 101india.com.

Written By: Shraddha Uchil

Photos by Katrina Fernandez (PhD) & Shraddha Uchil

Contact Details

https://wildotters.com/

Kshitij Garg

[email protected]