The sighting of an elusive Eurasian otter in Goa, India, has been confirmed.
According to Mongabay, a passerby discovered an injured Eurasian otter on the side of the road in February 2025. Suspected to have suffered a collision with a vehicle, the otter tragically died the next day.
However, the sighting is still good news, as this otter, which is endemic to the region, has never been recorded before and is shyer and more solitary than the other two native otter species residing in the region.
Although researchers are thrilled to have a confirmed sighting of this creature, the fact that it was so close to the road is troubling, as the likely cause for its proximity to a populated space is habitat loss and limited resources, such as food and clean water. As wildlife rescuer Charan Desai explained to Mongabay, "Waste from sewage lines, especially from hotels, is often dumped directly into rivers, which is a major threat for otters."
As exciting as this sighting was, however, conservation groups in the area have emphasized the importance of conducting studies before officially declaring the otter species' presence.
Co-founder and chief ecologist of the conservation group Wild Otters, Katrina Fernandez, told Mongabay, "First, it's important to do some more research, find out where they are present, and then use the information for further protection of the habitats they might be in."
Hopefully, those studies will involve trail cameras, which can be one of the best ways to capture proof of elusive wildlife species. By utilizing these cameras in the wild and documenting sightings, conservation efforts become that much simpler.
The cameras enable wildlife experts to track and monitor rare creatures while also allowing them to catalog evidence from rehabilitation efforts. Additionally, trail cameras can help experts determine the health and population robustness of animal species.
The incorporation of trail cameras into further research on the Eurasian otter will be invaluable for the smart management of the species, helping to protect the animal, as well as safeguarding local communities and ecosystems that depend on the Eurasian otter to thrive.
Regardless of the type of studies researchers decide to conduct on the Eurasian otter, with any luck, they will soon report more sightings of this mysterious creature.