By Mark Hodson, editor of 101 Holidays
The elusive giant otter – a species threatened with extinction – has made a surprise return to the Ecuadorian Amazon thanks to an eco-tourism project.
Staff at La Selva Jungle Lodge say the giant otters have been spotted in Mandicocha Lake as a direct result of a programme to supply pigs to the local Quichua community. The pigs are bought by the lodge, fattened on scraps and donated to families living in villages on the nearby Rio Napo. As a consequence, the Quichua have been hunting fewer otters.
The giant otter is the longest member of the weasel family and grows up to 1.8metres in length. After decades of being hunted for their pelts, it is thought there may be as few as 5,000 of the animals in the wild.
Amanda Marks, of Tribes Travel says: “Giant otters are rare and very shy creatures so this is great news for the otters, guests at the lodge and the local community. This lodge has always tried very hard in terms of environmental responsibility, but I don’t think that even they expected this outcome.”
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Tags: Tribes Travel
