THERE is no captive moustachioed otter in the world. The two that were captured by scientists in Thailand managed to wriggle out of the cage after a month. 

The moustachioed otter, also known as the hairy-nosed otter, has mesmerised scientists with its elusive nature and intelligence. 

Unlike the small-clawed otter and the Indian smooth-coated otter that can be found throughout Malaysia, no one in this country had seen the hairy-nosed otter alive. The only records of the otter are two dead specimens found in Nenasi in Pahang and Seberang Perak in the 1990s. 

“There’s a possibility that they can still be found in the peat swamps of Pahang as the area is large and untouched,” said Dr Burhanuddin Mohd Nor, principal assistant director at the Conser-vation and Environmental Division of the Science, Techno-logy and Environment Ministry. 

A peat swamp forest is not easily accessible and its swampy nature does not make walking easy. This could be the reason why no studies had been carried out on the otter, he said. 

Dr Burhanuddin said he hopes to start a research project on the otter this year as the United Nations Development Pro-gramme seemed keen on providing funds for the project. 

“It’ll be a good effort; for some years we thought the otter was extinct,” he said. 

The two hairy-nosed otters that he and Thai scientists managed to capture in Thailand escaped after a month while they were carrying out research. 

“I don’t know how they did it. They wriggled through the cage,” he said. 

The locals called the otter berang-berang berkumis or memerang Kumis. It is similar in shape and size to the Eurasian otter, Lutra lutra. About a metre long with strong claws on webbed feet, it is dark brown on top and paler beneath, with a sharp dividing line. The nose pad of the hairy-nose otter is shaped like a shield and covered with hair. Its fur, like most otters, is fine and velvety. The species has been spotted in Java, Borneo, Sumatra, Thailand and Indochina.  

Generally, otters have been regarded as one of the best bio-indicators.  

“If the area is not polluted, there will be lots of fish and the otter loves it. The otter will go away if the place no longer provides enough fish,” said Dr Bur-hanuddin. 

Otters are social animals. They go out in groups and are protective of each other. 

“Sometimes they combine with other groups to find food. If there is a newborn or young otter, the adult otters – including males – will take turns to look after it,” he said. 

“There is a hierarchy in their group. A dominant male heads each group. They use (their) faeces to mark their territory, and the most dominant male will leave more faeces than the rest,” said Dr Burhanuddin.  

The first otter Dr Burhanuddin tried to study was a small-clawed baby otter that was left behind by its mother in a padi field. 

“We (Burhanuddin and other scientists) brought it back to our house and tried to feed it. We planned to send it to the zoo but the baby otter started making so much noise that a group of otters came and circled the house. We closed all the doors and windows and left one door open and the dominant male otter came in to rescue the young otter,” he said. 

The scariest incident for Dr Burhanuddin was when he and a couple of scientists were surrounded by more than 20 grown small-clawed otters when the otter they caught started squealing its head off. 

“They chased after us and started biting our pants,” he said. The scientists had to let the otter go. 

Generally, otters are very playful and inquisitive animals. They love to hunt for fish and prawns. Farmers consider otters as pests when they destroy their padi while hunting for fish, said Dr Burhanuddin. 

“In fish ponds, the otters will harvest the fish first before the farmers harvest them,” he said with a chuckle.  

“Sometimes they may play with the fish and prawns, and bite them but not eat them. That’s to sharpen their hunting skills,” he said. – By Loh Foon Fong