Smooth-coated otters, classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, have been sighted in Kothagudem after nearly 35 years. Conservationists report a growing population at a stream confluence, calling it a positive sign for biodiversity and urging habitat protection measures.
Smooth-coated otters, listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, were sighted for the first time in an irrigation tank near Gollapur village in Adilabad district, delighting forest officials and highlighting the region’s improving aquatic biodiversity.
Abdul Raheem, a dedicated wildlife photographer from Karimnagar, shared with ‘Telangana Today’ that he discovered a family of nine otters in an irrigation tank while photographing birds on March 22 and 23. He expressed his surprise at spotting the otters in the district’s landscape.