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So little is known about the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) population in Tunisia. Faouz Kilani, AON member, together with the Tunisian Association for Wildlife (ATVS) has started to work on this species and managed to create a production of a scientific note and a documentary in 2019.
Currently, she is working with the same association on mammals (including the Eurasian Otter) of Northern Tunisia in a project called “COBIOM”, funded by Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) in order to increase the knowledge regarding the species in the area.
Faouz is now planning to conduct a PhD on the Eurasian otter in Tunisia to cover many different components such as distribution and foraging habits, to hopefully fill the knowledge gaps and raise awareness about this beautiful and important species in her country.
June 2023 Updates
A report (here) has been produced, that states the following:
“Two other carnivores of the Mustelidae family have been located on the site: the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) which was already known to be present in the region thanks to MacDonald & Mason (1983) but whose observations have remained rare since. During the research period, footprints and spraint of this species made it possible to highlight evidence of its presence in almost all the rivers of the region (Oued Lehmar, Oued Maden, Oued Melah and Oued Tabouba) as well as inside the dam and even in the area brackish water from Oued Zoueraa. The signs confirmed the report made in December 2021 of a roadkilled female in Ouechtata. It’s the second case of road collision after the one in 2019 (Bouragaoui et al. 2019), which confirms the serious impact that roads have on this endangered species.”
African otter Network 