Asia

Species: Eurasian Otter

The status is poorly documented partly due to the country’s turbulent history in recent decades. A review of the status of the Eurasian otter published by Ostrowski in 2016 which recommended that clarification of the current distribution, population trend and threats is necessary before applying appropriate conservation measures.

Legal Protection: On the list of Protected Wildlife Species in Afghanistan since 2010.

Threats: Hunting.

Species: Eurasian Otter

Present in Arpi Lake National Park in the northwest and also around Lake Seval (central)

Legal Protection: Unknown

Threats: Hunting, conflict with fish farms.

Species: Eurasian Otter

Widespread across much of the country apart from the high mountain regions.

Legal Protection: Unknown

Threats: Unknown

Species: Eurasian Otter

Status of the Otter in Southeast Georgia by Gorgadze in 2005 gave the results of surveys in three parts of the country.

A survey by NACRES in 2012 covered 631 sites and otters were present at 245 (39%). Otters are listed as “nearly extinct” in the Georgian Red Book but this is based on very old data. Not abundant but appears stable.

Legal Protection: Protected under the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats.

Threats: Habitat destruction for logging and agriculture, pollution, poachers, killing because of otter/fishermen conflicts.

Species: Eurasian and Smooth-coated Otter

The Eurasian Otter can be found in rivers and lakes in the Zagros, Elburz and Koppe-Dagh mountain range and in the Iranian Azerbaijan. Otters are also found south of the Caspian Sea in the Golestan province.

The endemic species of Smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli) is also present in the border region with Iraq.

Legal Protection: Legally protected.

Threats: Pollution, habitat destruction and road mortality.

Species: Eurasian and Smooth-coated Otter

Both Eurasian and smooth-coated otters are present in Iraq and became very rare after the Iraqi marshlands inundation in 2003. The subspecies Maxwell’s Otter is endemic to the Iraqi marshes.

Legal Protection: Iraqi legislation regulates hunting of both species under Iraqi wildlife protection law n. 17 issued in 2010.

Threats: Hunting, trapping, and habitat loss and destruction (i.e. marshland drainage). Adult otters are sometimes targeted by Marsh Arabs (hunters and local fishermen) in order to collect their fur, while their cubs are trapped to be raised as pets or trained to help anglers in fishing.

Species: Eurasian Otter

Until the middle of the 20th century otters were abundant in Israel in all coastal rivers from the Lebanese border in the north to the Soreq river in the south as well as along the Jordan river including the Hula Lake and the sea of Galilee. Surveys found that it had virtually gone from the coastal areas with healthy populations in the Jordan river catchments including Lake Tiberias and an estimate of the total Israel population is only about 100.

The main otter population in Israel is in the Hula Valley and Jordan River highlands. A survey in 2014 examined 106 sites in these two areas as well as the Golan Heights, the Lake Kinneret basin, the Jordan Valley, the Harod Valley and the Beit She’an Valley. This revealed a serious decline in populations:

For the fourth consecutive year there were no otter signs in the Jezreel and Zevulun valleys.

For the third consecutive year there were no otter signs in the Harod and Beit She’an valleys.

For the first time since 2000, there were no signs of otters in the Golan Heights.

As a result otters are now defined as a Critically Endangered species in Israel and certain important conservation steps have been recommended: establishing a breeding nucleus to help populations to recover, restoring ecological corridors to connect otter communities, restoring abandoned bodies of water and wetland habitats.

Legal Protection: Protected.

Threats: Pollution, habitat destruction and road mortality.

Species: Eurasian Otter

Signs have been found on the Yarmuk and Jordan but nothing on the Zarka. Little work has been done.

Legal Protection: Protected

Threats: Pollution and accidental deaths in fish traps.

Species: Eurasian Otter

Present but no more information

Legal Protection: Unknown

Threats: Unknown

Species: Eurasian Otter

Found in Chon-Alay valley and upper tributaries of Kizil-Suu river. Believed to be extinct elsewhere.

Legal protection: Not known

Threats: Habitat loss, lack of prey, poaching, disturbance, dogs

Species: Eurasian Otter

Otters are very rare in Lebanon but are known to breed in the Bekaa wetlands and Chouor reserve. They are also recorded from Anjar. Otters use the Litani river and its tributaries and were filmed raiding trout at a restaurant fish pond at Al-Jazeerah.

Legal Protection: Not known.

Threats: Not known.

Species: Eurasian Otter

The Palestine Wildlife Society report the Eurasian Otter as being present but declining in the Dead Sea and Jordan River area. No mention of status or populations.

Legal protection: Not known

Threats: Not known

Species: Eurasian Otter

Used to be common on the river Euphrates from Deir ez-Zor up to Abu Kamal (at the Iraqi border), Al Mayaddin and Doura Europos, but not in the NW area of Raqqa. They were reported in the Khabur valley, in NE Syria, and were present on an island in the Euphrates at Doura Europos, from Halabiyyeh and from Tell Sheikh, along the river Khabur. However, it seems that numbers have dropped over the last 40 years following construction of the Tabagua dam.

Legal Protection: Not known.

Threats: Habitat destruction, sand extraction, pollution, urbanisation, conflicts with fishermen, illegal hunting.

Species: Eurasian Otter

Throughout country in low numbers. Present in floodplains of Vakhsh, Pyanj & Murghab rivers.

Legal protection: Not known

Threats: Habitat loss, conflicts with fishermen

Species: Eurasian Otter

Present but little information.

Legal protection: Not known

Threats: Not known

Species: Eurasian Otter

Present but no more information.

Legal protection: Not known

Threats: Not known

Species: Asian Small-clawed, Smooth-coated and Eurasian Otter

The Asian Small-clawed Otter is found in the Sunderbans.

The Smooth-coated Otter are critically endangered in the country and also very poorly documented.

The Eurasian otter has a sporadic small population recorded in the Chittagong and Chittagong hill tracts and in the wetlands of Mymensingh and Syhet but these are old reports.

Legal Protection: Protected

Threats: Habitat destruction, pollution, illegal hunting, killed by fishermen.

Species: Asian Small-clawed, Smooth-coated and Eurasian Otter

Most seen in Punatshangchhu Basin (central) as far as Sunkosh.

Legal Protection: Not known.

Threats: Hydroelectric dams, illegal fishing, development, sand extraction.

Species: Eurasian, Asian Small-clawed and Smooth-coated Otter

All species are becoming rare outside the protected National Parks. The Asian Small-clawed is found in isolated populations in the north, south and east of India. The Smooth-coated Otter is found throughout India and the Eurasian Otter occurs in the foothills of the western Himalayas and in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Goa in the south, although some more recent sightings have been documented.

Legal Protection: All three species protected by The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 – Schedule I & II.

Threats: Habitat destruction, sand extraction, pollution, urbanisation, conflicts with fishermen, illegal hunting.

Species: Eurasian Otter, Smooth-coated otter and the Asian small-clawed otter

Eurasian otters dwell in mountain streams, rivers and lakes. They have been recorded from West Seti river and Rara Lake in the far west of Nepal, and also Rupa Lake and Begnas Lake of Pokhara valley in Central Nepal. More recent documentation has occurred in various places across the country - but still exceptionally rare. Smooth-coated otters have been reported in major river basins of Nepal: Koshi, Narayani, Karnali and Mahakali rivers. The presence of Asian Small-clawed otters has been recorded but the distribution of this species has not been recently reported.

Legal Protection: None.

Threats: Over-fishing, fishing conflicts, pollution, hydroelectric plants, habitat destruction and disturbance.

Species: Smooth-coated and Eurasian Otter.

The Eurasian Otter is not common and occurs in the Northwest Frontier Province. The distribution of Smooth-coated otters in Pakistan is believed to be smaller than previously thought. Sightings and data suggest that the species is now only present in the Indus plains of the Sindh and Punjab provinces. There is a lack of recent records from the Khyber Pakhtun Khwa province so the presence of species is unknown within this area. There have been some unconfirmed reports of Smooth-coated otters in the Balochistan province but these are yet to be verified.

Legal Protection: Both species are fully protected.

Threats: Overhunting and damming of rivers.

Species: Eurasian Otter

Was once widespread from sea level to the mountains but today very restricted. (de Silva 2006). Still rare but there are now regular sightings at Jetwing Vil Uyana in the central area.

Legal Protection: Protected.

Threats: Habitat destruction, pesticide pollution and hydro-electric dams.

Species: Asian Small-clawed, Smooth-coated and Eurasian Otter.

Smooth-coated Otters are found in the southwest area of Yunnan province and the coastal area of Guandong. The Eurasian Otter is widespread with five sub-species. Asian Small-clawed Otters occur along the southern boundary of China.

Otters used to be widespread in China except for a few provinces in arid zones but now they are hardly ever observed in the wild.

Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of China. Otters were thought to be extinct in the mid 1990s but they were spotted again in the Mai Po Nature Reserve.

Legal Protection: All three species protected by Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Wildlife (1989) – Class II.

Threats: Habitat destruction and illegal hunting have resulted in serious damage to the otter population.

Species: Sea Otter - Eurasian otter now extinct

The Eurasian otter (subspecies ‘Japanese otter’) was officially declared extinct in 2012, although it was actually believed to have died out in the 1990's with the last photo taken in the wild back in 1979. One individual was spotted on a trail camera in Tsushima prefecture in 2017 but it was believed to have been from the Korean peninsula.

Sea Otters are found off the northern most islands of Japan and in 2023 it was believed that they were now breeding in this area.

Legal Protection: Protected by Act on Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Flora (1992)

Threats: Unknown.

Species: Eurasian Otter

According to the Red List the Eurasian otter was “once widespread in the rivers of northern Mongolia (Mallon 1985), along the rivers of Mongol Altai Mountain Range, and along the Halh River in Ikh Hyangan Mountain Range). It has also been reported from downstream of the Tengis River in northern parts of Hövsgöl Mountain Range (Tsagaan 1975, 1977) and around the Eröö River Basin in western Hentii Mountain Range (Tsendjav 2005). It can also be found occasionally along the Tes River in northern Hangai.”

A recent report on the current status of otters in Mongolia (Shar et al, 2018) shows that there are otters present in Northern, Eastern and Western Mongolia but not in the south where waterways are very limited. Survey revealed that otters seemed to be most prevalent in the east of the country and in particular the Numrug River and Khalkh River.

Legal Protection: Fully protected since 1930.

Threats: Poaching and habitat loss.

Species: Eurasian otter

Otters are protected in three reserves: Sinyang Otter Reserve, Daehung Otter Reserve and Popdong Otter Reserve. Otters also inhabit the upper reaches of all the major North Korean rivers.

Legal Protection: Not known.

Threats: Not known.

Species: Eurasian otter

Were endangered and rare but now across much of the country as conservation and habitat improvement has increased. It is distributed in rivers, streams, lakes and reservoirs.

Legal Protection: Protected by Protection of Wild Fauna & Flora Act (2004).

Threats: Habitat fragmentation and destruction, human conflict

Species: Eurasian otter.

Found on Kinimen island

Legal Protection: Protected by Wildlife Conservation Law (1989).

Threats: Habitat fragmentation, road kills, water extraction

Species: Asian Small-clawed, Smooth-coated and maybe Hairy-nosed Otter

The Asian Small-clawed Otter is fairly common, while the Smooth-coated is rare. Hairy-nosed otters are believed to live in the country but documentation has not happened.

Legal Protection: Not known.

Threats: Not known.

Species: Smooth-coated , Eurasian, Hairy-nosed and Asian Small-clawed Otter Otter.

For a long time little was known about the otters in Cambodia and in 2009 a workshop was held to train more people in otter research and education/public awareness.

Since then much more information has been obtained and in 2016 a report was published on field studies carried out between 2006 and 2013. This confirmed that Hairy-nosed Otters were present in four regions: Tonle Sap Lake, Cardamom Mountains, Bassac Marsh and the coastal areas in Kohn Kong province.

Smooth-coated otters are also known from the Mekong river and its tributaries, including the Sre Pok River.

Asian small-clawed Otters are recorded from the Virachey National Park and the surrounding area.

Eurasian otters are extremely rare.

Legal Protection: Eurasian and hairy-nosed otters protected by Forestry Law (2002). Asian small-clawed and smooth-coated not protected.

Threats: habitat loss, pollution, illegal trade

Species: Eurasian, Asian Small-clawed, Smooth-coated and the Hairy-nosed Otter.

Otters are only found in the west of Indonesia and only on the islands of Borneo (Kalimantan), Java and Sumatra.

There is very little recent data on the Eurasian otter in Indonesia. During investigations into otters being traded as pets in north Sumatra it was reported that these were Eurasian otter cubs but the animals “disappeared” and so this could not be confirmed. However, in January 2020, two pet otters were taken to a rescue centre and one of these turned out to be Eurasian – the first record in 80 years.

Legal Protection: Eurasian and hairy-nosed otters have been protected for a long time by Government Regulation No 5/1990 on Conservation of Natural Resources & the Ecosystem, Government Regulation No 7/1999 on Preservation of Flora & Fauna. In 2018 The Ministry of Environment and Forestry signed a decree that means the smooth-coated otter is also now fully protected. However, the Asian small-clawed otter is still not unprotected and this is the species most involved in trade.

Threats: Pollution, habitat destruction, road mortality and taking from the wild as pets. At the beginning of 2013 at least 800 otter pet owners were known in the Jakarta alone.

Indonesia has had a demand for pet otters for a long time and this continues with the added pressures of other countries now interested in obtaining pet otters, such as Japan.

Species: Eurasian, Asian Small-clawed, Smooth-coated and Hairy-nosed Otter

Found in Nakai District during IOSF training workshop in 2018. May also be present in Nam Et Phou Louey NP. Population unknown.

Legal Protection: All four species protected by Wildlife & Aquatic Law (2007).

Threats: Habitat destruction.

Species: Eurasian, Smooth-coated, Hairy-nosed and Asian Small-clawed Otter

Eurasian otters are believed to be extinct in Penisula Malaysia. The Asian Small-clawed, Hairy nosed and Smooth-coated are found across both regions of Malaysia.

Legal Protection: All four species protected by Wildlife Conservation Act (2010), Wild Life Protection Ordinance (1998), Wildlife Conservation Enactment (1997). The Eurasian otter was removed from the protected list for peninsula Malaysia due to the belif it is now extinct there.

Threats: Habitat destruction and pesticides.

Species: Asian Small-clawed, Smooth-coated, Eurasian and Hairy-nosed.

Hairy-nosed otters were confirmed as being present in 2014 when a freshly killed animal was found in a market at Mong La. This is only the second record of this species for Myanmar and the first one was a skin collected in the north of the country in 1939.

The Smooth-coated Otter is widely distributed but no other information is available.

Asian small-clawed otters are present.

The Eurasian Otter is reported as being present but there is no further data.

Legal Protection: Eurasian, Asian small-clawed and smooth-coated otters protected by Protection of Wildlife & Wild Plants & Conservation of Natural Areas Law (1994) but not the hairy-nosed otter as it is not recognised as existing in the country.

Threats: Not known.

Species: Asian Small-clawed Otter

Occurs in estuaries, tidal areas and rivers but only on Palawan, the western island province of the Philippines and this is because of the Wallace Line. This was discovered in 1859 by the naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace who realised that the fauna and flora in eastern Indonesia is different to that in the west. In fact, a distinct line can be drawn between Bali and Lombok with the species in the east being more Australasian and those in the west being more Asian. The Wallace Line was extended by Thomas Henry Huxley to show that the biodiversity of Palawan is different to the rest of the Philippines. This makes the population very important and it is vital that proper protocols and protection are set up for the otters, not just for the care of individual animals which may be found but for the protection of habitats to sustain wild populations.

The Turtle Islands had a report of Smooth-coated otters believed to have come from Malaysia.

Legal Protection: Protected by Wildlife Resources Conservation & Protect Act RA9147 (2001).

Threats: Loss of habitat due to logging and mining.

Species: Smooth-coated and Asian Small-clawed otter

Smooth-coated otters are now regularly seen in Singapore. There are families in Bishan, Tanah Merah, Serangoon and Pulau Ubin and the Bishan 10 family were chosen to represent the country’s 51st year.

Single Asian Small-clawed family lives on Pulau Tekong Besar, an island north east of the main island.

Legal Protection: Both species protected by Wild Animals & Birds Act (1965).

Threats: Disturbance of waterways and mining activity.

Species: Eurasian, Asian Small-clawed, Smooth-coated and Hairy-nosed Otter

The Hairy-nosed Otter was thought to be extinct in 1998 but a population was found in 1999 in the Toa Daeng peat swamp in southern Thailand.

The Eurasian Otter was thought to be extinct in 1990 but was found in Uthai Thani province in southern Thailand in 1994. Now thought to be mainly distributed in the north and west.

The Asian Small-clawed is found in many National Parks throughout Thailand with large numbers in the western forested areas.

The Smooth-coated Otter occurs in western and southern areas and is common in the Mekong delta.

Legal Protection: All four species protected by Wild Animals Preservation & Protection Act (1992).

Threats: Habitat destruction, illegal killing, pollution to waterways.

Species: Eurasian, Asian Small-clawed, Smooth-coated and Hairy-nosed Otter

Otters occur throughout the country in a variety of habitats, but all four species are threatened and need urgent conservation measures.

There is no information on Eurasian Otters and no records since 1990s and these cannot be verified.

Hairy-nosed otters are known to be in The Kien Giang biosphere reserve.

Legal Protection: All four species protected by Decree No 32/2006/ND-CP, Decree No 59/2005/ND-CP, Decree 157/2013/ND-CP.

Threats: Habitat destruction due to Vietnam war - even now there are still effects from the use of Agent Orange. Illegal killing by fishermen, pollution to waterways.