Pune: Bird Watcher Captures Rare Otter Sighting Along Mula River
Hinjawadi, 7th January 2025: A bird watcher, Gopal Bhaskaran, made an unusual discovery on January 6th while bird watching along the banks of the Mula River near the Mangaon Dam, close to Hinjawadi. Bhaskaran spotted two otters in the river, a sight that has never been reported in this area before.
Bhaskaran, who has lived in Pune for the past four years, immediately took photographs of the otters to document the rare encounter. “Considering their size, they could be one of two species — Smooth-coated or Eurasian. The Eurasian otter, however, is very rare, and its distribution is largely unknown,” Bhaskaran explained. “I haven’t come across any reports of either species in Pune until now.”
While otters have been reported in other parts of Maharashtra, such as Kavdipat five years ago and Ujani Dam, this sighting near the bustling city of Pune is raising concerns about the health of local river systems.
“Seeing them this close to the city calls for a closer examination of our river ecosystems to understand what other rare species may have gone unnoticed. It also highlights the urgent need for conservation efforts,” Bhaskaran added.
As a bird watcher, Bhaskaran has been keenly observing wildlife in and around Pune and believes that more attention is needed to safeguard the biodiversity of the region’s rivers.
