Mystery otter returns to IISc campus after a hiatus

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: It’s been over five years since a lone otter propped up in the nation’s premier institution Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru.

The smooth-coated otter which had disappeared temporarily has come back again. However, how it made the journey to the campus and how it has been able to survive so far has not been uncovered. The otter was first spotted in the centenary pond in the campus. Many would catch a glimpse of it occasionally but it had vanished all of a sudden.

The sighting of the otter has left the researchers baffled. They assert that no one introduced it into the pond. The only other water body where otters are found is Hesaraghatta lake. A handful of researchers have a theory that it may have swam from the Sankey tank, since the two water bodies are connected by an underground drain.

However, the Sankey tank has not spotted an otter in the past 15 years. On the other hand, few researchers are of the opinion that the otter could have reached the pond through ArkavathiVrishabhavathi valley. But they do not have an answer to how it may have survived the polluted water bodies. The centenary pond at IISc is rainwater fed and was established in 2009.

Alok Kumar, an associate professor at IISc took to Twitter and said, “Our latest unpaid intern. Literally asked for fish and chips in salary. While many labs are wooing this intern, it has stated a preference for the ecology department , where faculty are known to buy fish under ‘consumables’ category.” Another associate professor, Vishu Guttal, replied and said, “This is actually true,” along with laughing emojis. The mystery otter has also caught the attention of the forest department.

“There are currently no otters in any of the lakes in the city as most of them have lost connectivity since the channels of the lakes have not been well-maintained. The sighting has raised curiosity in the department , we will undertake further assessment,” chief conservator forest department, Lingaraja informed.