International Otter Survival Fund
Encyclopedia
International Otter Survival Fund The International Otter Survival Fund (IOSF) is a global otter charity, based on the Isle Isle of Skye
, Scotland. The IOSF is solely dedicated to the conservation, protection and care of otters in the UK and around the world. Otters are part of the Mustelid family of animals which also includes badgers, pine martens and weasels.
Patron: Julian Pettifer
Joint Presidents: Laurence Broderick
Dennis Furnell
Co-ordinator: Janet Wildgoose
Development Officer: Helen Birch
Head of Operations: Dr Paul Yoxon CBiol MS
Otter numbers in the UK have increased slightly in recent years but the Eurasian otter is still classed as 'Vulnerable' in the Red Data List.
As the otter lives, feeds and plays on land and in the water and is at the peak of the food chain it is an ambassador species to a first class environment. IOSF was set up to protect and help the 13 species of otter worldwide through a combination of compassion and science. The IOSF support projects to protect otters, which will also ensure that we have a healthy environment for all species, including our own.
IOSF has many years of experience of carrying out ecological and environmental surveys, in particular with respect to otters.
Over the years the IOSF have worked with the main ecological and governmental organisations in Scotland and England including: Scottish Natural Heritage
, The Scottish Executive, the Scottish Wildlife Trust
, the Wildlife Trusts, Highland Council Ranger Service.
The IOSF sponsors and is actively involved in numerous projects around the world.
Kenya: IOSF has worked with Dr Mordy Ogada of the Mpala Research Centre in Nanyuki, to reduced human/otter conflicts on Lake Victoria. The project enabled the fishing community to develop an environmentally friendly fish farm to provide their own fish needs and improve the habitat for wild fish and otters. IOSF is also working with Mark Origa, a teacher with the Kisumu Science Teachers Otters Conservation Development Group, in his long-term education work with communities on the shores of Lake Victoria
.
Nepal: In 2002, Dr Thapa, Central Department of Zoology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu carried out a survey of the Smooth-Coated Otter (Lutra perspicillata) in the Karnali River, Royal Bardia National Park. A workshop was also part-funded on “Survey techniques and monitoring otter populations” for rangers and conservationists in Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Following on from this work IOSF has provided camera traps to Gandhiv Kafle, from the Nepal Otter Project (www.ottersnepal.org), to enable further studies of these animals using non-invasive means.
UK: A lot of work is also carried out locally in the UK including, of course, the otter hospital on Skye which cares for otters through Scotland, Northern England and Ireland. In addition, the IOSF are actively involved in the campaign to ban the use of snares in Scotland together with Advocates for Animals, the League Against Cruel Sports, and other conservation and wildlife welfare organisations
America/Canada: IOSF has been campaigning against the fur trade in South-East Asia and working to provide an otter-friendly alternative to hunting. Most hunters there are poor fishermen who are trying to earn a living.
Mexico: A project was carried out by Jimena Guerrero, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autonoma Del Estado de Mexico. She studied three rivers of Temascaltepec to see which habitat features influence the distribution of the Neotropical Otter (Lontra longicaudis).
Chile: IOSF funded the work of Dr Claudio Delgado-Rodriguez, Marine Otter Project Director, Conservacíon Marina, in Valdivia. He carried out work on the Sea Cat or Marine Otter (Lontra felina), for which there is very little data. He developed a method for estimating population numbers which can be used to produce the first Sea Cat conservation strategy at regional level and also undertook a public awareness campaign, particularly for fishing communities.
Commander Islands: Dr. Vladimir Sevostianov of the Commander Islands & BC Nature Protection and Conservation Association", has been carrying out a long term study of the Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) , particularly in connection with a sudden increase in deaths in other parts of the Bering Sea.
Bangladesh: Dr Feeroz, of the Department of Zoology at Jahangirnagar University, was able to establish an Otter Rescue Centre as part of the Wildlife Rescue Centre (WRC). Poaching of otters using fishnets is common in Bangladesh and the otters are caught and killed for the pelts. Sometimes the otters are confiscated from the poacher but without the WRC they would die without any treatment or care.
Belarus: Dr Vadim Sidorovich, of the Vertebrate Predation Research Group, Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, in Minsk, has been working on otters and other carnivores for many years. He has shown that by improving the habitat for beavers it also improves the habitat for Eurasian Otters (Lutra lutra) and also for European Mink, another threatened species.
Georgia: George Gorgadze, of NACRES (Noah’s Ark Center for the Recovery of Endangered Species) in Tbilisi, carried out a population assessment of the Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) as no such study had ever been done and the otter has already disappeared from many areas in Georgia. During his studies, which also used camera traps, he managed to obtain a photo of a leopard, which had not been recorded in the country for over 50 years!
Hungary: IOSF has been working for many years with Dr Jozsef Lanszki, of the Ecological Research Group, University of Kaposvár, in his studies of the Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) along the Drava River and in the fish pond areas of south-western Hungary.
America: IOSF campaigned with the Animal Defence Trust to outlaw the use of the gin trap in the hunting of otters.
Ireland: In 2007 IOSF received two otter cubs from Ireland which were released back the following year. Whilst in Ireland to identify a suitable release site, we carried out a survey of County Longford and met with Dr Ferdia Marnell of the National Parks and Wildlife Service to discuss otter conservation in Ireland.
The Netherlands: IOSF was invited to a conference on road mitigation to present on the use of wildlife warning reflectors. This was part of a reintroduction programme in collaboration with the Dutch government.
Italy: IOSF supported a campaign by local people in Serre Persano, southern Italy, to prevent the re-opening of a huge rubbish dump near the protected area of Oasi di Persano. The campaign was successful and the government transferred the location to another site.
Russia: Dr Kathanovsky of the Central Forest Biosphere Reserve carried out an otter survey of the area – the first of its kind in the Reserve.
Thailand: In 1998 the Hairy-Nosed Otter (Lutra sumatrana) was considered extinct but using funding from IOSF, Dr Budsabong Kanchansaka of the Wildlife Research Division, in Bangkok, found small populations still in the wild. Following this further isolated populations were found in Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia.
South Africa: Prof Jan Nel and Dr Leon Durbin of Stellenbosch University carried out a survey of the Cape Clawless Otter (Aonyx capensis) in the Western Cape Province, where it is under threat from the expansion of human townships.
Guyana: Dr Adrian Barnett of the School of Life Sciences, Roehampton Institute, in London, carried out a survey of Giant Otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) as part of the Potaro Plateau Conservation Programme, whose aim was to provide lists of the mammals and birds of the region.
Argentina: Dr Claudio Chehebar, Administracíon de Parques Nacionales, Rio Negro, is monitoring the status of the Southern River Otter (Lontra provocax) in Nahuel Huapi National Park. This species has a very restricted range and has suffered heavy pressure from hunting, poaching and habitat loss. As a result the IUCN Otter Specialist Group identified it as one of the first priority group “Species of Global Conservation Concern”.
Spain: IOSF collaborated with Dr Jordi Ruiz-Olmo of the Departament de Medi Ambient i Habitatge, Generalitat de Catalunya, in Barcelona on a LIFE project to produce a book on “European Semi-aquatic Mustelids: Estimations of numbers and abundance”. This book is intended to provide guidelines for monitoring semi-aquatic Mustelids in Europe including the otter.
UK: IOSF have carried out many surveys and advised local authorities and the Scottish Executive about otter road mitigation. IOSF have also supported various local campaigns, such as that on the River Lune in Cumbria, where the local people were concerned about a housing development which would destroy otter habitat – the campaign was successful.
International Rehabilitation: IOSF has provided practical help and advice for many people working with cubs throughout the world. Over the years we have supported people working with different species in many countries including Ireland, Portugal, Guyana, Chile, Canada, USA, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Indonesia.
Europe: IOSF believes that international collaboration is vital if it is to achieve real progress in conservation. As a part of this concept, IOSF has organised two international conferences on the Isle of Skye. The first, in 2000, brought together European Specialists in Otter Toxicology and resulted in protocols for post mortem examinations. The second in 2003 was entitled “The Return of the Otter in Europe – Where and How” and again brought together specialists from all over Europe to work on an integrated plan for conservation.
Skye
Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...
, Scotland. The IOSF is solely dedicated to the conservation, protection and care of otters in the UK and around the world. Otters are part of the Mustelid family of animals which also includes badgers, pine martens and weasels.
Patron: Julian Pettifer
Joint Presidents: Laurence Broderick
Laurence Broderick
Laurence Broderick, ARBS, FRSA, is a British sculptor. His best known work is The Bull, a public sculpture in Birmingham, erected in 2003. His work consists largely of direct carvings in stone and editions in bronze, mostly figurative, wildlife and the female form...
Dennis Furnell
Co-ordinator: Janet Wildgoose
Development Officer: Helen Birch
Head of Operations: Dr Paul Yoxon CBiol MS
Otter numbers in the UK have increased slightly in recent years but the Eurasian otter is still classed as 'Vulnerable' in the Red Data List.
As the otter lives, feeds and plays on land and in the water and is at the peak of the food chain it is an ambassador species to a first class environment. IOSF was set up to protect and help the 13 species of otter worldwide through a combination of compassion and science. The IOSF support projects to protect otters, which will also ensure that we have a healthy environment for all species, including our own.
IOSF has many years of experience of carrying out ecological and environmental surveys, in particular with respect to otters.
Over the years the IOSF have worked with the main ecological and governmental organisations in Scotland and England including: Scottish Natural Heritage
Scottish Natural Heritage
Scottish Natural Heritage is a Scottish public body. It is responsible for Scotland's natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and scenic diversity. It advises the Scottish Government and acts as a government agent in the delivery of conservation designations, i.e...
, The Scottish Executive, the Scottish Wildlife Trust
Scottish Wildlife Trust
The Scottish Wildlife Trust is a registered charity dedicated to conserving the wildlife and natural environment of Scotland.-Description:The Scottish Wildlife Trust has over 32,800 members...
, the Wildlife Trusts, Highland Council Ranger Service.
The IOSF sponsors and is actively involved in numerous projects around the world.
Kenya: IOSF has worked with Dr Mordy Ogada of the Mpala Research Centre in Nanyuki, to reduced human/otter conflicts on Lake Victoria. The project enabled the fishing community to develop an environmentally friendly fish farm to provide their own fish needs and improve the habitat for wild fish and otters. IOSF is also working with Mark Origa, a teacher with the Kisumu Science Teachers Otters Conservation Development Group, in his long-term education work with communities on the shores of Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
.
Nepal: In 2002, Dr Thapa, Central Department of Zoology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu carried out a survey of the Smooth-Coated Otter (Lutra perspicillata) in the Karnali River, Royal Bardia National Park. A workshop was also part-funded on “Survey techniques and monitoring otter populations” for rangers and conservationists in Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Following on from this work IOSF has provided camera traps to Gandhiv Kafle, from the Nepal Otter Project (www.ottersnepal.org), to enable further studies of these animals using non-invasive means.
UK: A lot of work is also carried out locally in the UK including, of course, the otter hospital on Skye which cares for otters through Scotland, Northern England and Ireland. In addition, the IOSF are actively involved in the campaign to ban the use of snares in Scotland together with Advocates for Animals, the League Against Cruel Sports, and other conservation and wildlife welfare organisations
America/Canada: IOSF has been campaigning against the fur trade in South-East Asia and working to provide an otter-friendly alternative to hunting. Most hunters there are poor fishermen who are trying to earn a living.
Mexico: A project was carried out by Jimena Guerrero, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autonoma Del Estado de Mexico. She studied three rivers of Temascaltepec to see which habitat features influence the distribution of the Neotropical Otter (Lontra longicaudis).
Chile: IOSF funded the work of Dr Claudio Delgado-Rodriguez, Marine Otter Project Director, Conservacíon Marina, in Valdivia. He carried out work on the Sea Cat or Marine Otter (Lontra felina), for which there is very little data. He developed a method for estimating population numbers which can be used to produce the first Sea Cat conservation strategy at regional level and also undertook a public awareness campaign, particularly for fishing communities.
Commander Islands: Dr. Vladimir Sevostianov of the Commander Islands & BC Nature Protection and Conservation Association", has been carrying out a long term study of the Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) , particularly in connection with a sudden increase in deaths in other parts of the Bering Sea.
Bangladesh: Dr Feeroz, of the Department of Zoology at Jahangirnagar University, was able to establish an Otter Rescue Centre as part of the Wildlife Rescue Centre (WRC). Poaching of otters using fishnets is common in Bangladesh and the otters are caught and killed for the pelts. Sometimes the otters are confiscated from the poacher but without the WRC they would die without any treatment or care.
Belarus: Dr Vadim Sidorovich, of the Vertebrate Predation Research Group, Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, in Minsk, has been working on otters and other carnivores for many years. He has shown that by improving the habitat for beavers it also improves the habitat for Eurasian Otters (Lutra lutra) and also for European Mink, another threatened species.
Georgia: George Gorgadze, of NACRES (Noah’s Ark Center for the Recovery of Endangered Species) in Tbilisi, carried out a population assessment of the Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) as no such study had ever been done and the otter has already disappeared from many areas in Georgia. During his studies, which also used camera traps, he managed to obtain a photo of a leopard, which had not been recorded in the country for over 50 years!
Hungary: IOSF has been working for many years with Dr Jozsef Lanszki, of the Ecological Research Group, University of Kaposvár, in his studies of the Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) along the Drava River and in the fish pond areas of south-western Hungary.
America: IOSF campaigned with the Animal Defence Trust to outlaw the use of the gin trap in the hunting of otters.
Ireland: In 2007 IOSF received two otter cubs from Ireland which were released back the following year. Whilst in Ireland to identify a suitable release site, we carried out a survey of County Longford and met with Dr Ferdia Marnell of the National Parks and Wildlife Service to discuss otter conservation in Ireland.
The Netherlands: IOSF was invited to a conference on road mitigation to present on the use of wildlife warning reflectors. This was part of a reintroduction programme in collaboration with the Dutch government.
Italy: IOSF supported a campaign by local people in Serre Persano, southern Italy, to prevent the re-opening of a huge rubbish dump near the protected area of Oasi di Persano. The campaign was successful and the government transferred the location to another site.
Russia: Dr Kathanovsky of the Central Forest Biosphere Reserve carried out an otter survey of the area – the first of its kind in the Reserve.
Thailand: In 1998 the Hairy-Nosed Otter (Lutra sumatrana) was considered extinct but using funding from IOSF, Dr Budsabong Kanchansaka of the Wildlife Research Division, in Bangkok, found small populations still in the wild. Following this further isolated populations were found in Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia.
South Africa: Prof Jan Nel and Dr Leon Durbin of Stellenbosch University carried out a survey of the Cape Clawless Otter (Aonyx capensis) in the Western Cape Province, where it is under threat from the expansion of human townships.
Guyana: Dr Adrian Barnett of the School of Life Sciences, Roehampton Institute, in London, carried out a survey of Giant Otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) as part of the Potaro Plateau Conservation Programme, whose aim was to provide lists of the mammals and birds of the region.
Argentina: Dr Claudio Chehebar, Administracíon de Parques Nacionales, Rio Negro, is monitoring the status of the Southern River Otter (Lontra provocax) in Nahuel Huapi National Park. This species has a very restricted range and has suffered heavy pressure from hunting, poaching and habitat loss. As a result the IUCN Otter Specialist Group identified it as one of the first priority group “Species of Global Conservation Concern”.
Spain: IOSF collaborated with Dr Jordi Ruiz-Olmo of the Departament de Medi Ambient i Habitatge, Generalitat de Catalunya, in Barcelona on a LIFE project to produce a book on “European Semi-aquatic Mustelids: Estimations of numbers and abundance”. This book is intended to provide guidelines for monitoring semi-aquatic Mustelids in Europe including the otter.
UK: IOSF have carried out many surveys and advised local authorities and the Scottish Executive about otter road mitigation. IOSF have also supported various local campaigns, such as that on the River Lune in Cumbria, where the local people were concerned about a housing development which would destroy otter habitat – the campaign was successful.
International Rehabilitation: IOSF has provided practical help and advice for many people working with cubs throughout the world. Over the years we have supported people working with different species in many countries including Ireland, Portugal, Guyana, Chile, Canada, USA, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Indonesia.
Europe: IOSF believes that international collaboration is vital if it is to achieve real progress in conservation. As a part of this concept, IOSF has organised two international conferences on the Isle of Skye. The first, in 2000, brought together European Specialists in Otter Toxicology and resulted in protocols for post mortem examinations. The second in 2003 was entitled “The Return of the Otter in Europe – Where and How” and again brought together specialists from all over Europe to work on an integrated plan for conservation.