PIONEEREDGE NEWS SERVICE | Ramnagar
Forest department officials and wildlife enthusiasts are enthused by the recent sighting of smooth-coated otters in the Kosi river in Ramnagar. Though the otters are common in Ramganga and its tributaries in this area, this sighting reportedly comes years after they were last seen in the Kosi.
Wildlife photographer Deep Rajwar captured this rare sighting of six smooth-coated otters swimming in the river.
He averred that otters were first officially recorded in the Ramnagar forest division in 1935, but for nearly 80 years after that, no one reported seeing them. Their presence was confirmed again in 2016. The appearance of the otter bevy in the Kosi is not only delightful news for wildlife enthusiasts but also a positive sign that the Kosi river’s ecosystem and environment are becoming healthier.
Rajwar further shared that this was the first time he had witnessed so many otters together in the river. About five years ago, he had sighted three otters in the Kosi and had documented them on camera as well.
Corbett Tiger Reserve director Saket Badola said that the presence of otters in the Kosi river is a good sign of the ecological health of the area. Otters can usually be seen in the Ramganga river at Dhikala though they have not been sighted similarly in the Kosi river. Their appearance here is indeed a positive sign, he added.
