THE FURRY SOULS OF THE RIVER

Just before sunrise, deep inside the core area of Jim Corbett National Park, when the forest is yet to rise and shine under the heavy white blankets of December fog wrapped around it, the mist that envelopes the treetops slowly melting the virgin nature seems to be shaking its night-long slumber, silently play by the bank of the crystal blue Ramganga river, the family of River Otters.

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"...if you enter the woods Of a summer evening late, When the night-air cools on the trout-ringed pools Where the otter whistles his mate." The Way Through the Woods - by Rudyard Kipling

The cautious yet inquisitive, playful and skilled swimmers - these small beautiful mammals are a treat to watch both for the eyes and the souls. Anyone familiar with this part of the wildlife in India must have witnessed this unearthly spectacle of nature - the family of Otters busy with their morning rituals playing, swimming, hunting fish and caring for each other, far away from human interference.

According to a recent study, about 11.4 million years ago, Southeast Asia was home to an otter species known as the Neptune's Vishnu Otter or the Vishnu Otter (Vishnuonyx neptuni). Weighing between 10 and 15kg, Vishnu Otters occupied some of the major rivers present back then, in the southern parts of Asia. However, the discovery of the Vishnu Otter across the sea is at the same time exciting as well as a cause of concern for all of us. A species that had existed million years back and yet failed to survive altogether with the passage of time. In today's world where Otters are found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica, despite all the efforts, initiatives and efforts by the concerned authorities, and awareness programs, many of these wonderful creations of nature found themselves 'endangered'. Under the ESA (The Endangered Species Act) the neotropical, southern, marine, giant, and Congo clawless otters are listed as "endangered" (species facing a very high risk of extinction). The California sea otter is listed as "threatened" (species facing a high risk of extinction).