Cape Clawless Otter
Text and photographs by Roger de la Harpe

Africa is home to three otter species: the spotted-necked Lutra maculicollis, the Congo clawless Aonyx congica, and the Cape clawless otter A. capensis. While on assignment in KwaZulu-Natal, a chance encounter with the latter species prompted photographer Roger de la Harpe to find out more about this intriguing creature and its habits.
    It was freezing! I was waist-deep in the champagne-clear water of the upper reaches of a farm dam in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, my waders providing little insulation against the cold. The sun had only just peeped up over the horizon and small wisps of mist rose off the glass-like surface of the water as the yellow-billed ducks that I was trying to photograph paddled their way about like miniature 'Flying Dutchmen'.
    I had made myself a kind of portable floating hide from a light, synthetic material and PVC tubing that attached to my back by way of an aluminium pole and an old boardsailing harness which floated on the water around me. In addition to keeping me hidden from view, it also trapped all the gas released from the weeds on the bottom of the lake as I stomped about and it was this gas that I thought was affecting my mind as I caught sight, out of the corner of my eye, of a large 'bow wave' approaching me.
    I just couldn't work out what it was. Around me the ducks and other waterfowl continued to do their early morning bird things as this object moved closer, now heading straight towards me. What on earth was it? It was only about two or three metres away when I realized that it was an otter. Up until then I had been standing very quietly as I tried to identify it, but now I moved suddenly to scare it away - the last thing I wanted was an otter in the hide with me.
    It is not for nothing that the otter has been likened to its relative the honey badger as regards tenacity and viciousness when cornered. Only when it had veered off with a huge splash, its head now clear of the water and easily identifiable, did I relax and enjoy the experience. What is it about an otter that makes it so appealing?
    Otters are notoriously shy animals and not many people are fortunate enough to see them in the wild. Persevere though, it's worth it.
    The Cape clawless otter is widely distributed throughout Africa south of the Sahara, wherever there are suitable streams, rivers, dams and swamps. It also occurs on the coast but always in close proximity to a river mouth. For many people the only sign they will see of an otter is its faeces (known as spraints) in a temporary latrine, used only for a few days at a time and often near deep water, presumably to aid escape should it be threatened. An otter's spraints can sometimes be confused with those from a water mongoose but usually those of the mongoose contain bits of fur from its rodent prey and other items not in the otter diet.
    The otter is most often seen in the late afternoon and evening and then again, although less often, in the early mornings. The rest of the day it rests up under overhanging rocks, in dense vegetation and other shelters.
    Its food depends greatly on what is readily available, with crabs, frogs and fish being the favourite, but it is not averse to insects, molluscs, octopuses (along the coast of course), birds (including the occasional domestic chicken or duck, which it catches at its peril) and eggs. It seems the otter locates fish by sight, whereas it uses its very sensitive fingers to feel about under rocks and among reeds and other vegetation to find crabs and frogs. After catching a fish by following it and then making a final lunge, the otter will play with it, much like a cat with a mouse, tossing it into the air, allowing it to get away and then catching it again. Finally, it takes the fish to dry land to be consumed, usually beginning at the head. Frogs and crabs are sometimes eaten underwater and at the surface while the otter treads water, but more often than not they are also taken on to land to be consumed.
    After eating, which involves much snuffling and grunting, and seemingly great enjoyment, the otter will go to great lengths to ensure that its feet and face are washed properly in the water.
    Otters are playful animals and it's probably this trait that makes them so appealing (on seeing one, a person's first reaction is, invariably, to smile). They chase each other in the water, sometimes treading water and play-fighting, rolling and tumbling - completely at one with their aquatic environment. They will fetch a small stone from the bottom of a dam or riverbed and have endless fun holding it in their dextrous front feet, balancing it on their chests while floating on their backs, or dropping it into the water and then retrieving it again.
    After all this playing and feeding the otter will ensure that its coat is properly dried. This is done by first shaking off most of the water and then rolling about in dry vegetation or sand and then finally striking the most elaborate poses on a rock or some other exposed place to ensure the sun reaches every part of its body. While it may be completely at one with its aquatic environment, the otter is less so with its terrestrial one. It walks with a hunched, almost waddling gait, seeming to prefer bounding and will sometimes gallop, but none of these matches its gracile beauty in the water.
    Not much is known about the otter's reproductive habits. It appears to be a seasonal breeder, although this may vary with location. Records of young being born in March, April, August and November have been made but too little data exists to form any definite pattern, perhaps indicating that young may in fact be born throughout the year.
    Probably the greatest threat to otters is loss of habitat through human pressures. They have few natural predators, with crocodiles and some of the larger raptors that prey on the young being about the only ones. Not many other predators are likely to attempt attacking something as ferocious as an irate otter. It is a fair bit larger than the notorious honey badger and its tough, loose skin makes it difficult to grasp and hold. It is incredibly resilient and, once it has latched onto something with its enormous incisors, it's unlikely to let go. Females have been known to attack humans.
    Otters are a delight to watch, which makes the effort of trying to see them very worthwhile. A particularly good place to see them is at Tsitsikamma National Park in the Eastern Cape, with the area between the restaurant and the Storms River mouth being possibly the best place. In KwaZulu-Natal the Kamberg Nature Reserve is also a good spot, especially around the trout dams in winter. Here the otters catch almost more trout than the fishermen do, much to the chagrin of Rob Carsing, who is in charge of the trout hatchery.
    And of course, if you don't manage to see one, just enjoy the environment - otters occur in the most enchanting places!

References
Skinner, J.D. and Smithers, R.H.N. 1990. The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion. University of Pretoria, Pretoria.
Estes, Richard D. 1993. The Safari Companion. Russel Friedman Books, Halfway House.
Stuart, C. and T. 1995. Field Guide to the Mammals of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.

Fact file
Weight: 10-16 kg (male); 13-19 kg female
Total length: 1.11-1.8 metres (male); 1.17-1.97 metres (female)