Gondia, Mar 29 (PTI) Eurasian otter, a highly endangered mammal, has been captured on camera for the first time in the Nawegaon Nagzira Tiger Reserve, which spans Maharashtra's Gondia and Bhandara districts, a forest official said on Saturday.

Field Director Jayarame Gowda R said the rare species was spotted during their fourth phase of monitoring for 2024-25 through trap camera surveys.

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The species (scientific name: Lutra lutra) has sleek brown fur, which is often paler on the underside and a long, lithe body with a thick tail and short legs. It lives in aquatic habitats like highland and lowland lakes, rivers, streams, marshes, swamp forests and coastal areas.

Eurasian Otter is a near-threatened species on the IUCN Red List, a critical indicator of the health of the world's biodiversity, and is a Schedule I animal under the Wildlife Protection Act, receiving the highest level of protection.

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The species was last reported in 1978 by naturalist Maruti Chittampali in the present-day Gondia district. However, this is the first photographic evidence, confirming its presence inside the tiger reserve. Earlier, the species had been recorded in Pune and Pench in Maharashtra, the official said.

Gowda said that protecting the Eurasian otter and its habitat will be their top priority.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)