Why Otters Matter

Why Otters Matter

- Gopakumar M

We sat on a stone wall by the river, Sivu, the fisherman, and I, in silence, waiting for the arrival of what Steven Moss, a British naturalist, once called “the elusive movie-star”. It was dusk and the cows had just crossed the placid waters of the Cauvery, after spending much of the day grazing on the island about 300 m. from the banks. Their crossing had taken up much of my attention: everything about the body structure of a bovine is un-aerodynamic, yet the cows had swum across with little apparent effort, their heads just above water and noses up in the air, a langourous watery stroll, before reaching the banks and clambering up dry land.

And, after their crossing, I was now listening to the cacophony of birdcalls, when Sivu touched my arm. “I hear them,” he said simply, pointing ahead. There was little to be seen in the water and the pair of binoculars in this light was of little help, but I did hear the calls, a mix between a whistle and a chirp produced in continuous sequence. A minute later, a couple of little heads came into dim view, swimming downstream towards us and moving with elegance across the surface of the water, producing, behind them a ‘wake’ pattern of ripples, in the shape of a V, as produced by waterfowl or boats (interestingly, this was first explained mathematically by Lord Kelvin and known today as the Kelvin wake pattern).

The smooth-coated otters were returning after a day’s work.

BUNDLES OF JOY