WORLD OTTER DAY 2024 COMMEMORATION IN CAMEROON

WORLD OTTER DAY 2024 COMMEMORATION IN CAMEROON

World otter day is celebrated each year on the last Wednesday of May.

This day was established by IOSF – International Otter Survival Fund – to help draw attention to otters, celebrate them, raise awareness and support their conservation globally.

World Otter Day 2024 commemoration in Cameroon was organized thanks to IOSF  and their World Otter Day grant.

OIPA Cameroon took the opportunity to raise awareness on the presence of otter, their distribution and vulnerability status in school, communities, Regional delegation of the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife of NW Region, Jato Sonita, children who live in the forest and through media.

ACTIVITIES

Some of the activities that marked this event were the symbolic tree planting excise carried out by OIPA Cameroon and officials of the Ministry of Forestry Wildlife as a sign of recognition of otters in Cameroon and the need to protect their habitat.

Another excise was the schools education programme. Our team met with children of Susana Nursery and primary school and Rosy bilingual Primary school to education them about otters, their presence in Cameroon and the need to protect them. Unfortunately most pupils know almost nothing about otters. Some of the children have seen otters only on TV and were not aware of their presence in Cameroon. They are thought about other species of animal during nature study classes but have never been thought about otter.

Commemorating this day in Cameroon was an opportunity for some pupils to learn about otter and their presence in Cameroon. From our experience it is safe to that very little is known about this species and their vulnerability.

THREATS

The Congo clawless otter is threatened by the anthropogenic alteration or degradation of riparian and freshwater habitats. Also in some communities in Cameroon, Otters are also thought to be magical and possess powers that when you catch an otter, skin it, and wear its fur, you are thought to become invisible to an enemy and are able to escape an enemy. The idea comes from the otter’s ability to escape fish traps. Its fur is also used in Cameroon to make drums.

It was and interesting, educative and interactive session between the school children, officials of MINIFOF and members of the communities during this period. Question on the species of otter found in Cameroon where they lives and why they are hunted were ask what they eat, how the can be protected etc were ask by the pupils. Although otters are known to be difficult to catch, they are constantly hunted for their meat, fur and skin and sold for similar prices of other bushmeat.

There a huge need  for awareness raising, conservation and protection of otters in Cameroon