Asian Small Clawed Otter Research Paper
Rachel Bohnenberger
Professor Van Doorn
ENVS 150-002
30 March 2015
Position White Paper The Asian Small-Clawed Otter, although not listed as endangered, is one of the several animals threatened as a result of three main problems—habitat destruction, hunting, and pollution. The otter’s habitat destruction is a result of changing land use patterns such as reclamation of swamps and mangroves, losing hill streams, tea and coffee plantations along hills, deforestation, water pollution due to pesticides, etc. (Aonyx cinerea). Although the otter is vulnerable mainly because of habitat loss, there are a limited number of conservation measures to protect it. All otters are protected in Malaysia and Singapore but local habitats are not yet protected. The American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums established a survival …show more content…
Once that is determined, the next step would be to begin by eradicating the destructive forces as much as possible, one by one, by any means possible—whether that be relocating or removing completely factories that pollute the water, rebuilding wetlands, downgrading the size of coffee and tea plantations, etc. This plan is as simple as, and would cost roughly the same as, current efforts to make the Earth a more sustainable place to live. The National Zoo currently supports the otters by mimicking their natural habitat and providing a diet similar to what the otters would eat in the wild. To keep the otter in the zoo, I would estimate, costs roughly $30,000 total for things such as zoo habitat maintenance, food, medical supplies, etc. Having the otter survive in its natural habitat may initially cost more than keeping it in a zoo, but will eventually cost less if the habitat is maintained well enough by nature to not require human
Professor Van Doorn
ENVS 150-002
30 March 2015
Position White Paper The Asian Small-Clawed Otter, although not listed as endangered, is one of the several animals threatened as a result of three main problems—habitat destruction, hunting, and pollution. The otter’s habitat destruction is a result of changing land use patterns such as reclamation of swamps and mangroves, losing hill streams, tea and coffee plantations along hills, deforestation, water pollution due to pesticides, etc. (Aonyx cinerea). Although the otter is vulnerable mainly because of habitat loss, there are a limited number of conservation measures to protect it. All otters are protected in Malaysia and Singapore but local habitats are not yet protected. The American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums established a survival …show more content…
Once that is determined, the next step would be to begin by eradicating the destructive forces as much as possible, one by one, by any means possible—whether that be relocating or removing completely factories that pollute the water, rebuilding wetlands, downgrading the size of coffee and tea plantations, etc. This plan is as simple as, and would cost roughly the same as, current efforts to make the Earth a more sustainable place to live. The National Zoo currently supports the otters by mimicking their natural habitat and providing a diet similar to what the otters would eat in the wild. To keep the otter in the zoo, I would estimate, costs roughly $30,000 total for things such as zoo habitat maintenance, food, medical supplies, etc. Having the otter survive in its natural habitat may initially cost more than keeping it in a zoo, but will eventually cost less if the habitat is maintained well enough by nature to not require human