A small animal with a professor's mustache swims on its back, holding a stone on its belly. It cracks open a shell, squints with pleasure. Otter. Some call it the river wolf, others the water cat. It is shy, smart, playful, and very important for the ecology. It has its own holiday — World Otter Day. It is celebrated on the last Wednesday of May. In 2026, it will be on May 27. Let's find out why otters need attention and protection, what makes them unique, and how we can help them.

What kind of otters are there

Otter is a predatory mammal of the Mustelidae family. There are 13 species in the world. The most famous is the river otter (Lutra lutra), which lives in Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It has a long, flexible body (up to 1 meter), short legs with webbing, a powerful tail (like a rudder), dense fur that does not let water through. The color is brown, the belly is light. Weight — from 5 to 15 kg.

In North America, there is the North American otter, larger (up to 140 cm, 20 kg). In South America — the giant otter (up to 2 meters, 30 kg), which is rare and listed in the Red Book. In Asia — the smooth-furred otter, almost without underfur. And separately — the sea otter (kalan), which lives in the Pacific Ocean and does not go ashore.

In Russia, the river otter is found almost everywhere except the Far North. It loves clean rivers, lakes, streams with forest banks. Due to water pollution, the otter has disappeared from many places, but it returns where rivers have been cleaned.

Habits and character

Otters are excellent swimmers. They can dive to a depth of up to 6 meters, hold their breath for 4 minutes. Underwater, they close their ears and nostrils. They swim faster than 10 km/h. On land, they seem awkward, but they can run up to 20 km a day in search of food.

They mainly hunt fish (trout, dace, perch), frogs, crabs, water rats. They eat 1-2 kg of food a day. They do not eat garbage — only fresh. If the fish is sick, the otter ignores it. Therefore, the otter is a bioindicator: if it lives in a river, then the water is clean.

Otters are territorial. One otter owns a river section 2-10 km long. They mark the boundaries with excrement (which smells like fish, jasmine, and musk). They do not let strangers in, but sometimes play with neighbors.

Otters are very playful. They love to slide down muddy banks into the water, float on their backs, chase each other. They even play in adulthood. In winter, they slide down ice hills. Zoologists call this "otter joy".

Why otters are disappearing

The number of otters has sharply decreased in the 20th century. Causes: hunting (the fur is highly valued), river pollution (pesticides, heavy metals), drainage of bogs, deforestation along the banks. In the 1950s, the otter almost disappeared in Europe. The population in Russia also fell, but it is recovering now.

The second reason is death in fishing nets and traps. The otter gets tangled and drowns. The third is the reduction of the food base due to overfishing. The fourth is poaching: the fur of an otter is worth up to 50 thousand rubles on the black market.

World Otter Day was established to draw attention to the problem. It has been celebrated since 2014 under the initiative of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The goal is to tell people about the importance of the otter for ecosystems and to ask them not to kill it.

How and where to celebrate World Otter Day

In Russia: zoos hold lectures and quests. On this day, in the Moscow Zoo, otters are fed live fish — so visitors can see how they hunt. In the Saint Petersburg Zoo — a children's drawing contest "My Favorite Otter".

In Europe: otter counts are conducted on rivers. Volunteers look for traces, excrement, take photos. Data is sent to scientists. In the UK, there is an open day at otter rescue stations (where they treat injured otters and release them into the wild).

In the US: a flash mob #OtterDay is launched on World Otter Day. People post photos with toy otters, videos from zoos, funny facts. In Japan: prayers are said in temples for the purity of rivers, and then fry are released into rivers where otters live.

On the Internet: live broadcasts from otter enclosures are held. The most popular are from the Osaka Aquarium (Japan) and the Chester Zoo (UK). Otters there are stars of YouTube.

How to help otters

Simple steps. Do not throw garbage in rivers and lakes. Especially dangerous are batteries, plastic, oil. Do not wash your car by the river. Maintain the cleanliness of the banks — participate in clean-up days.

If you are a fisherman, do not set nets in places where otters live. If you accidentally catch one, carefully release it. Do not kill! This species is under threat. Do not buy fur products made from otter fur. A real otter fur coat is poaching. Synthetics are not worse at keeping warm.

Support organizations for the rescue of wild animals — you can even transfer 100 rubles. Plant trees along the river — this will strengthen the bank and provide shelter for otters. Tell your friends about World Otter Day — the more people know, the greater the chance to save the animal.

Interesting facts about otters

Otters have the densest fur in the world — up to 80,000 hairs per square centimeter. For comparison, humans have 200. Therefore, otters do not get wet.

Otters use stones as tools. They put a stone on their belly and hit it with a shell. They carry stones in folds of skin. One stone can serve for years.

Otters sleep floating on their backs. They often hold their paws to not drift apart. Pairs and families sleep this way.

Otter cubs cannot swim at birth. Their mother teaches them, throwing them into the water and catching them. In 2 months, they are already like fish.

Otters emit up to 20 sounds: whistling, chirping, hissing, grunting, a cry of alarm, a mating call.

In captivity, otters live up to 20 years, in the wild — 10-12.

Otter in culture and myths

In Celtic mythology, the otter is a guide to the world of spirits. It was believed that killing an otter was cursed. In Scandinavian sagas, the otter is the embodiment of the god Loki (he could transform into an otter). In India, the otter is one of the forms of the god Vishnu.

In Russian fairy tales, the otter is almost never mentioned. There is a proverb: "Cunning as an otter." Or "The otter does not muddy the water, it is clean itself." In the Siberian peoples, the otter is a totem animal. It was forbidden to kill it without a need.

In modern culture: the otter is a hero of cartoons (for example, "Eragon," "Princess Mononoke," the series "Zootopia"). In Japan, otters are characters of manga and anime. On the Internet, otters with stones on their bellies are a popular meme.

In sculpture: monuments to otters are in Voronezh (on the riverbank), Riga (at the waterfall), London (in the park).

Otter and human: conflict or neighbor

Conflict: the otter may come to fish farming farms and eat fry. Farmers crush otters. Solution: install underground fences (otters dig), use electronic repellents. There is also a conflict: otters dig burrows in the banks, may erode embankments. But this happens rarely.

Neighbors: in Europe, otters come into cities if there is clean water. In Munich, otters live right in the city limits — in the English Garden. Tourists take photos of them. In Moscow, otters have been seen in Bитцевский лес and on the Sходня River. This means the water is getting cleaner.

The main thing is not to tame a wild otter. It is not a cat. It can bite, cause injury. Rabies infection is possible (rare, but it is). Admire from a distance.

What to do if you find an otter

If you find an otter in the city or forest and it looks sick (apathetic, not afraid of people, with blood), do not touch it! Call the wildlife rescue center (numbers are available on the Internet). If it has a broken leg or is tangled in nets, carefully, in gloves, put it in a box and take it to a veterinarian.

Do not try to warm it up, feed it, or treat it yourself. The otter is a stressful animal. It may die of fear. Do not hand it over to a zoo without permission — there are already enough of them. The best option is a rehabilitation center.

If you find a cub (small, blind) — the mother is nearby. Do not take it. Go away and wait. The mother will come. If the cub cries for more than 2 hours, call specialists.

Conclusion: why otters are needed on Earth

Otters are the top of the food chain in the river. They regulate the number of fish by eating the weak and sick. They do not let crabs and frogs breed until an epidemic. Thanks to otters, the river is healthy. If an otter disappears, there will be a imbalance, the river will become sick, overgrown with algae, and become acidic.

Otters are a living indicator of clean water. If there are otters, you can drink water without fear. If there are none, you should sound the alarm.

World Otter Day is not about a little animal. It's about us. Can we preserve nature so that otters return? So that our children can see them catch fish and play at sunset? Think about this on May 27. And if you decide, help. At least don't throw garbage. The otter will thank you. Silently, because it can't talk. But you will understand.

Permanent link to this publication: