Smooth coated otter, Kuala Selangor

With a large and fast growing population, the limited availability, uneven distribution and growing demand for fresh water, there is tremendous pressure on freshwater resources especially on freshwater biodiversity. There is an urgent need to design mitigation measures to conserve our river ecosystems. The first and significant step towards this goal is the systematic scientific documentation of biological and social significance of these ecosystems. Such documentation, along with a record of its ongoing changes is essential to develop long-term conservation and monitoring programs for river ecosystems. Otters are the top predators of the aquatic ecosystem and play a vital role in maintaining ecological integrity and preserving species diversity by regulating prey species, influencing behavior of other predators and prey, and exerting a top-down influence on natural systems. A healthy aquatic ecosystem provides support for a vast array of plant and animal life both in and along the water bodies that have immense environmental, economic, social and cultural value to human life. The disappearance of Otters can trigger the loss of other species and the intricate connection amongst the remaining residents begins to unravel, dramatically changing the structure and complexity of their ecological community.

The Hairy Nosed otter is the rarest of the four species of otters occurring in Asia. In 2013, a Hairy Nosed otter was spotted along the western part of Taman Negara, almost two decades since it was last seen anywhere in peninsular Malaysia. Otters are the ideal flagship species for conserving the rapidly degrading riverine ecosystems of Malaysia. The lack of baseline information on the species, particularly in Peninsular Malaysia has been a major stumbling block in this regard and this project will be instrumental in contribution to that knowledge. I hope to raise the profile of otters and leverage more support for the conservation of their habitat, by highlighting the natural and cultural values of that particular landscape and addressing the overall needs of the associated ecosystem.