14/03/2024
Definitely one of our favourite animals and one of which we like to encounter the most. The giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is a cute and curious animal but they are not to be messed with, social, intelligent but agile and fierce, they are the Kings and Queens of the of the rivers and lagoons.
Regrettably, this splendid species is now endangered, thriving in lush freshwater ecosystems rich in fish and with little human interference. The expansion of human activities into the Amazon, including settling, fishing, hunting, and logging, has disrupted their habitats and reduced their food sources.
Another main explanation for their worrying conservancy status is the impact the fur trade has had during the second half of the 19th century. The skins of the otters along with those of the big felines were the most sought after, harvested by the natives throughout most of the Amazon to be exchanged to merchants for basic necessity products. Things like salt, oil, blanket, axe heads were amazing novelties for the inhabitants of the Amazon, a different world almost completely isolated from the rest of us.
