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The International Otter Survival Fund (IOSF) was inspired by observing otters in their true natural environment. Because the otter lives on land and in the water and is at the peak of the food chain it is an ambassador species to a first class environment. IOSF was set up to protect and help the 13 species of otter worldwide through a combination of compassion and science. It supports projects to protect otters, which will also ensure that we have a healthy environment for all species, including our own.
2010/2011 has been a busy and varied year for IOSF both at home and abroad. The Furget-Me-Not campaign continues its work and we are developing more educational material for other Asian countries. Sixteen otters were treated at our sanctuary on Skye and advice given to various people working in this field worldwide.
The current economic situation has again been worrying but we have been so encouraged by the support in the form of donations and sales through the Ottershop.
In January 2011 we started to issue monthly e-updates in order to keep supporters up to date with our work.
IOSF is now a partner of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity (UNDoB), the aim of which is to support and promote implementation of the objectives of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Throughout UNDoB, governments are encouraged to develop, implement and communicate the results of national strategies for implementation of this Strategic Plan.
In March, we were sad to report the death of Jim Conroy, former scientific officer of IOSF and Chair of the IUCN Otter Specialist Group.
UK
RESEARCH
Otters and fisheries: One of IOSF’s main concerns of the year has been the increased publicity that otters are everywhere in the UK and the resulting pressure from fishery interests, who regard them as a serious threat. There have even been calls for a cull from more extreme people. One problem is that otter surveys are based on spraint (droppings) and this is being interpreted as a vast increase in otter numbers. IOSF has been drawing attention to the fact that this is not the case and there are other potential threats to fish stocks, such as low water levels in rivers caused by over-extraction, invasive species such as the American signal crayfish, disease and other predators.
Otter monitoring on Skye using camera traps: This continues at three sites and we now have four years’ data. This is revealing very useful data on population dynamics and behaviour.
Biological Recording: IOSF continues to act as a biological recording centre and as Secretariat to the Highland Biological Recording Group. Records are not only taken for otters, but for all taxa and passed on to the relevant recording organisation. The Highland Biological Recording Group is now in its 25th year and not only does it contribute thousands of records to the National Biodiversity Network database but it also produces various atlases of particular groups. The Mammal Atlas is to be published in 2012 and IOSF has obviously supplied a vast percentage of the otter records.
Otters and Roads: Jackie West, who is on the IOSF Advisory Board, was very concerned that otters were being killed on the road at Lochluichart, between Achnasheen and Inverness. So with her assistance Highland Council installed wildlife warning reflectors supplied by IOSF.
CAMPAIGNS
Snares: The campaign to ban snares completely in Scotland continues and a petition was submitted to the Scottish Government. The issue is still pending.
EDUCATION
Courses: Various courses have been run including training in the recognition of otter secondary signs and surveying.
Children: The Broadford Wildlife Club has resumed after a brief gap. It is now held at the local school in conjunction with the Broadford Out of School Club. IOSF has also been active in various special environmental days for schoolchildren.
RESCUE AND REHABILITATION
Otters: Over the year we have received cubs from all over the UK and also provided help and advice for people working with cubs throughout the world. This year we were pleased to help with otters in Ireland, Indonesia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Ecuador.
Sixteen otters were admitted to the Skye Centre this year. Usually there is a peak in January but this year the pattern was different with three otters in February, four in May and three in September. This included an adult which had been found in Inverness harbour with two broken back legs and who had survived for quite some time in that condition.
Other Casualties: Other casualties treated in the hospital include the usual autumn arrival of Manx shearwaters, as well as hedgehogs, bats, a roe deer fawn and various birds.
CONSULTANCY
There have been fewer otter surveys required this year but we continue to work with Scottish Water, Highland Council and Transerv, who are responsible for all trunk roads in Highland Region.
INTERNATIONAL
CAMPAIGNS
 The Otter Fur Trade and Furget-Me-NotWe continued to work with Annette Olsson of Conservation International Cambodia on our anti-fur campaign and the main aspect continues to be public awareness and education within the local communities.
IOSF continues to fund the fish for the otters being cared for at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre. There are currently eight smooth-coated otters and one hairy-nosed otter.
EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
Otter identification cards: Otter researchers in parts of Asia work closely with local people, especially fishing communities. They receive many reports of otter sightings but the people do not know which species and when questioned they cannot be certain if it actually was an otter. If these sightings could be confirmed as otters, it would provide valuable data regarding species distribution.
IOSF therefore produced otter identification cards with illustrations of the local otter species and other species which can be confused with otters, such as genet. On the reverse is brief information about each species and about otters in general including their importance to biodiversity and as an environmental indicator, and threats.
These are for use in the field by rangers and field researchers in Nepal and Indonesia and are available on the IOSF website and on the websites of SERO (Indonesia) and Nepal Otter Project (http://ottersnepal.org). The cards have a standard design so that they can be translated into different Asian languages and plans are already in hand to produce them for Malaysia and Pakistan.
African Otter Outreach Project (AoTOP):
 IOSF has been supporting education work in Kenya for a number of years. We are now working with the African Otter Outreach Project (AoTOP), directed by Jan Reed-Smith from John Ball Zoo, Michigan. This was founded in 2009 to work with several Kenyan and Tanzanian Lake Victoria based stakeholder groups to enhance their conservation education outreach efforts. The groups in Tanzania range from education outreach programs conducted by the Tanzania National Park Authority based on Rubondo Island National Park (RINP), to a two-year old programme (CHEC and Roots & Shoots clubs) promoting health and environmental awareness lead by a Tanzanian college student in Mwanza. In Kenya, the Kisumu Science Teachers’ Lake Victoria Otter and Wetlands Conservation Development Group (KISTOC), begun in 2005, is the oldest partner with 10 school-based clubs.
RESCUE AND REHABILITATION
Indonesia: We have been working with Cikananga Wildlife Rescue in Indonesia for some time and their new facilities for Asian small-clawed otters were opened in early 2011. IOSF is a founder member of SERO (Supportive Environments for the Region’s Otters). This is a non profit network of animal conservation and welfare professionals with special concern for the four species of otter found in the far East and Pacific Rim. The aim is to provide supportive environments for captive and wild otters in Indonesia through the following activities:
* a rehabilitation and release programme
* improved husbandry of captive otters
* an education programme to raise public awareness about otters and their environments
* moves towards protected status for the Asian short clawed otter
* sustainable/protected environments for wild populations
The Eurasian otter, smooth-coated otter and hairy-nosed otters are all legally protected in Indonesia unlike the Asian small-clawed otter and so SERO is working to obtain such legal protection.
Democratic Republic of Congo: IOSF continues to support the care of Mazu, the Congo clawless otter. She was a year old in February 2011 and has become a true ambassador to her species. The network of vets and rehabilitators specialising in otters developed during the early days of Mazu’s care, are all on hand for future events worldwide.
Ecuador: A rare neotropical otter cub was taken to a monkey rescue centre and IOSF was contacted for advice.
THANKS
We are very aware of the financial constraints on everyone – from individuals to funding organisations and we are extremely encouraged by the great generosity of our supporters. We appreciate all the effort that people are putting in to raise funds for us. Some children send us £5 out of their pocket money – a huge amount for them and enough to buy some fish for an otter.
In September 2011 an auction was held at the Ledgowan Hotel, in Achnasheen, and we are very grateful to them for giving us use of their hotel dining room for the evening.
Daphne Neville has been very supportive of our work, especially in south-east Asia. She gives many talks, especially in the West Midlands, usually with her otter Belinda, and the proceeds are donated to IOSF’s Furget-Me-Not campaign. She has also offered visits for otter-lovers to meet her otters in Gloucestershire and anyone interested should phone Daphne on 01285 760 234 to arrange a talk or visit.
We would also like to say thank you to the following for their assistance:
The Animal Defence Trust
Animal Friends Insurance
The H.B Allen Charitable Trust
Clark Bradbury Charitable Trust
Hugh Fraser Foundation
The Henderson Charitable Trust
The Dorothy Howard Charitable Trust
The Lapa Charitable Trust
The Shirley Pugh Foundation
The Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation
Leach No14 Charitable Trust
The Pollyanna Pickering Foundation
The Shuman Animal Welfare Trust
The James Thin Charitable Trust
The Walker 597 Animal Trust
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