Studies on Otter in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

The first stage of a project on South African otters in the mountainous Natal Drakensberg Park has been completed. The basic aim was to obtain indications of area requirements and relative abundance along three rivers within the park, as well as on farmland immediately outside the park. The two species involved were Cape clawless otter Aonyx capensis and spotted-necked otter Lutra maculicollis. Caterina Carugati, who completed the first stage of the project (one year of fieldwork), has now been joined by Ilaria D'lnzillo Carranza. They are limiting their study area to one of the rivers surveyed by Caterina, the Mooi River in the Kamberg area of the Drakensberg. More refined techniques will be employed, such as radio telemetry and the injection of isotopes, and the study has been expanded to include the water mongoose Atilax paludinosus. The aims are to obtain data on area requirements, social organisation, and niche overlap of the three amphibious carnivores. To date three spotted necked otters have been captured and fitted with radio transmitters. As far as is known, this is the first telemetry study on this species.