Meera Bhardwaj:
For the first time, otters are being observed so very close to human habitation in Tungabhadra River, Hampi, Karnataka. The Smooth Coated Otters are seen either in pairs or groups even as a few kilometers of the river was explored by this reporter.
A few families of Smooth Coated Otters were seen frolicking and feeding in the Tungabhadra River just opposite the Kondandaramaiah Temple and Yantrodharaka Hanuman Temple. It was the third week of January this year, when we visited this habitat for otters amidst the rush of domestic & international tourists.
The World Heritage Site of Hampi has the distinction of being home to the Tungabhadra Otter Conservation Reserve which spans 34 kilometres and is spread across the three districts of Vijayanagar, Ballari and Koppal.
The Smooth coated otters are very active and agile and one can sight them playing and marking their territories as they are semi-aquatic and fast both in fresh water and land.
When Green Minute visited the Tungabhadra River spot in the early hours, some young and adult smooth coated otters were observed so near the banks that one could see them feeding on fishes.
Even the advent of pilgrims to the river banks for a ritual bath did not deter these otters from enjoying their food so early in the morning. Usually, they are active during the early hours, mid-day, they can hardly be seen while in the night time, they take shelter in the river boulders.
It was surprising that these smooth coated otters were frolicking so near to a crowd of people making so much of noise. Further, the pilgrims had dumped all their clothes in the river and polluted the waters with other kinds of waste. Have the otters either adjusted or adapted to such conditions where human presence is so much?
With the Tungabhadra River at Hampi brimming with water after copious release of waters from the TB Dam at Hospet, the presence of smooth coated otters is not surprising as they migrate downstream looking for more food and the rocky structures with holes provides them an ideal spot for resting and nourishing their young ones, says Pompayya Malemath, wildlife conservationist and birder from Kamlapur.
Even as we boarded a country made coracle and went round a few kilometres, we could see a few groups of otters swimming from one end of the river bank to another. Each group comprised about 4-6 otters.
It was difficult to sight them as they are very fast moving in the swirling waters unless they are resting on the huge rocks all along the river.
Lined with hilly rocks, the river banks have many holes and perfectly carved gaps in these rocks which serves as a shelter and homes for these otters.
Even as we traversed across the river abounding with hills and rocks carved with various deities and animal motifs, the rocks that caught our attention were those with mesmerizing patterns and holes.
According to Mariswamy and his wife Saroja who have been fishing here for many decades, the otters do not mind their presence at all.
The fisherfolk added, “For us, it is a daily affair as we see many otters with their young ones and specially when the water level in the Tungabhadra River is more. We have seen them catching fishes and feeding their young ones and taking shelter during the noon time in these rock cavities.”
Usually, early mornings and late evenings, the smooth coated otters can be seen in large numbers, Mariswamy says and adds, “We do our work of fishing and there is no competition between us for the fish catch.”
The Tungabhadra Otter Conservation Reserve was notified as a conservation reserve on 28 April, 2015. This was done to provide protection to otters as well as resident and migratory birds under section 36A of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
It is India’s first otter conservation reserve and the habitat stretches from Mudlapura village, Koppal taluk, Koppal district to Kampli, Hospet taluk, Ballari district and also includes the heritage site of Hampi, Vijayanagar district.
Our guide Srinivas who is a naturalist took us around and showed all the important spots in the Tungabhadra River and pointed out the various bird species in this biodiversity rich region.
We were able to see many species that are observed in Hampi region like rufous treepie, yellow throated bulbul, all type of kingfisher including the Pied Kingfisher with the freshwater habitat rich in many types of fishes.
This conservation reserve supports many Rare, Endangered and Threatened (RET) species like smooth coated otters, marsh crocodiles, and many types of fresh water turtles.
Apart from Kali and Cauvery rivers, the Tungabhadra river is home to a rich and breeding population of smooth coated otters which is the largest otter species in Asia.
With tourists and pilgrims thronging from India and other parts of the world, it is heartening to see the otters thriving in this river.
Pollution is another major reason for the disturbances caused to these and other aquatic species in Tungabhadra River. Further, the habitat of this protected area faces a lot of other problems due to illegal sand mining, over fishing by people, usage of bomb fishing techniques to catch fishes and also encroachment of river beds, say forest officials. However all efforts are being made to conserve the habitat of otters and RET species, they add.
(PHOTO CREDIT: ALL PHOTOS BY MEERA BHARDWAJ @ HAMPI EXCEPT IMAGE 6)