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Rare Eurasian Otter discovered in Pune district for the first time
A rescue operation conducted by the Pune Forest Department and RESQ charitable trust on Friday, November 8 has revealed a rare Eurasian Otter in Indapur, Pune District, a species previously unrecorded in this area
A rescue operation conducted by the Pune Forest Department and RESQ charitable trust on Friday, November 8 has revealed a rare Eurasian Otter in Indapur, Pune District, a species previously unrecorded in this area. The rescue was initiated following an urgent call about a civet reportedly trapped in a deep well in Gotaki village in Nimgaon Ketaki area of Indapur tehsil, which upon closer inspection, led to an entirely unexpected discovery.
Upon arrival, local forest guards Milind Shinde, Anant Hukire, Shubham Kadu, and Shubham Dhaitonde and the RESQ CT team members, Nachiket Awadhani, Prashant Kaulkar, Dr Shreekanth Deshmukh, assessed the situation and devised a rescue plan.
Employing an auto-trap cage, they patiently waited in silence for nearly six hours until the otter, unable to escape on his own, entered the cage. Once safely retrieved, the otter was transferred to the RESQ ambulance and rushed to the wildlife transit treatment centre in Bavdhan for veterinary assessment.
“This is an unprecedented sighting for Pune district. While smooth-coated otters were historically recorded decades ago, no Eurasian Otters have ever been documented here until now,” said Mahadev Mohite, deputy conservator of forests (Territorial), Pune.
“We have deployed our teams as well as the RESQCT team to survey the areas in Indapur to trace the possible origin of this individual, which will be essential in planning his future,” he added.
Neha Panchamiya, founder and president of RESQ charitable trust, shared insights on the otter’s care and rehabilitation progress:
“The otter is a male, sub-adult, currently housed in a secure enclosure equipped with a water body and ample hides to create a natural and comfortable habitat. A comprehensive medical assessment will be conducted after he has had time to acclimate, ensuring no underlying health conditions.
About the Eurasian Otter
The Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) is one of the three Otter species found in India, alongside the Smooth-coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) and the Small-clawed Otter (Aonyx cinereus). While primarily found in Europe and parts of Asia, its presence in India is rare, mainly confined to the Himalayan foothills, parts of Northeast India, and scattered sightings in the Western Ghats.
