Why otters?
Not just cute, but important - and endangered.
Highly intelligent, sociable, and just plain fun to watch; the carnivorous otter is an aquatic member of the Mustelid (or weasel) family. Their lithe bodies and webbed toes and feet enable them to glide smoothly through the water and catch prey. There are some 13 species of otters around the world. Most of them are freshwater species, including the North American river otter, the Eurasian otter, the giant otter of the Amazon, the Asian small-clawed otter, and several African species. But the sea otter of the North American Pacific coast and the marine otter of the South American Pacific both spend the majority of their lives swimming and hunting in the ocean.
They are a vital part of their ecosystem, especially sea otters which are even considered a key species.
But heartbreakingly, 12 out of 13 of the otter species worldwide are under threat or endangered. Their numbers are declining due to reasons including hunting otters for the illegal fur trade, habitat destruction, pollution, and reduction in available prey.
