CHENGDU, April 11 (Xinhua) -- The Wolong National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province Thursday published images and video footage of Eurasian otter captured in the area.
In the video clip, an otter on a pebble beach jumped into the water for food from time to time. It is the first time images of this animal have been caught in the Qionglai Mountains, according to the management bureau of the reserve.
As a nationally protected animal in China, the number of Eurasian otters has dropped since the 1950s due to hunting, damage to their habitats, pollution and overfishing.
At the top of the food chain in freshwater areas, Eurasian otters consume a large quantity of fish and have high requirements for water quality and river environments.
Experts said the otters had not been spotted in the area during the past three decades. The barrier lakes formed after the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake, mountain torrents and landslide have also damaged the habitat of the animal. The discovery of the species is proof of improved river eco-systems in the area.
The reserve is investigating the species' population, distribution, diet and activities, so as to come up with protection plans.
