Asian clawless otter

Asian animals

Predators

The charming little Asian clawless otter is the smallest otter in the world. Despite its name, the species does have claws, but they are much smaller than in other otter species. Their webbed feet are also not as well developed as in other otters. Otters live in family groups and the parents share the care of the young. The Asian clawless otter loves to dig in the mud of rivers and lakes to find crabs, clams and other goodies that may be hiding there. The otter family spends all their time together and when they are not foraging, they play, groom each other or just lie around enjoying the sunshine. Across Asia, deforestation is leading to the disappearance of rivers and marshes. Many areas are being drained and converted to farmland and major water systems are being converted for fish and giant prawn farming. This leads to further concerns as the otters are considered pests if they are near the fish farms, leading to conflicts.

At Parken Zoo we are spreading information about what we in Sweden can do to save the Asian clawless otters. A very important part of this is our consumption patterns. We can all do our bit to preserve the Asian clawless otter and other species by choosing eco-labelled and locally produced products from producers who take their responsibility for the climate.

The clawed otter is included in the European monitoring programme ”Monitoring” for the conservation of the species.

CITES B