Otters

Human activities can influence animals in different ways. Some animal species can adapt to new environments by changing their behavior. Others don’t show such flexibility and aren’t as successful at adapting. The type of human activity which animals are exposed to is one of the main factors determining their behavioral responses. Tracking giant otters in …

Consequences of deforestation and mining Deep in the heart of the Amazon rainforest our Conservation Partner, Adi Barocas, is busy trying to understand how gold mining is impacting one of the jungle’s largest predators: the giant otter, or river wolf (‘lobos de rio’), as they are known locally. Artisanal small-scale mining, informal digging often carried …

Studying in the rain has its challenges Conducting field research in the tropics is challenging. Working in the Peruvian Amazon during the rainy season, between November and April, is even more so. When I started studying giant otters in the Madre de Dios province a few years ago, I was advised to stick to the …

Dr Adi Barocas is the project leader in Peru for our giant otter project. Giant otters are under threat from illegal gold mining activities and deforestation which are severely affecting their habitat in the Peruvian amazon. The team’s studying several giant otter family groups both in a protected area, within Manu National Park, and areas …