Otters in Cambodia
Cambodia has many rivers and a large lake, and therefore plenty of wetland habitats suitable for otters. However, as the focus on otters also has been low in Cambodia compared to the larger mammals, little research has been carried out on otters and their status there.
- All 4 of South East Asia’s species live in Cambodia
- All are threatened:
- degradation of wetlands
- Competition for food sources
- Persecution as competitors and destroyers of nets and traps
- In addition to all this,
Otters are being hunted by their hundreds throughout the region for the
 extensive illegal wildlife trade.
- high prices of wildlife products on the market and low levels of enforcement
- Little border control
- Easy to smuggle products through Vietnam and Myanmar into China where the biggest market is.
- Skins sell for $200 each which is a lot of money for a family who survives on a few dollars a week
- Hunters often supplied with traps by traders.
- Young otters kept as pets and when old enough sold for fur
- Many people are poor and otters are seen as a threat to their livelihood and equipment.
- Locally, rangers know people are hunting otters but are not aware that it is really illegal
Because the scale of the problem is so huge, we are concentrating on a single area in a single country: Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia.
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