Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam, renowned as the primary habitat of the one-horned rhinoceros, has recently received the addition of two new mammalian species, further enriching its diverse fauna. These newcomers are the elusive binturong (Arctictis binturong), the largest civet in India colloquially known as the bearcat, and the small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus), both designated under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
Authorities overseeing the rhino habitat reported the identification of these species during a recent enumeration, elevating the mammalian count within the expansive 1,302 sq. km tiger reserve to 37. The binturong was captured in a photograph on January 10 during the fifth migratory bird count conducted in the reserve.
Meanwhile, the small-clawed otter was sighted following a brief training program organized for officers and frontline staff, jointly conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India and the Assam Forest Department. Chirantanu Saikia, a tour guide, documented the binturong, while Arun Vignesh, the park’s divisional forest officer, photographed the small-clawed otter, recognized as the world’s smallest otter species.
Also referred to as the Asian small-clawed otter, this mammal boasts a broad distribution range spanning from India eastwards to Southeast Asia and southern China. In India, it predominantly inhabits protected areas in West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and certain regions of Kerala within the Western Ghats.
Small-clawed otters exhibit partially webbed feet and short claws, enhancing their adeptness as hunters in aquatic environments. They are primarily found in freshwater habitats, sustaining themselves with a diet comprising fish, crustaceans, and mollusks.
While the small-clawed otter had been previously documented in the western Himalayas and parts of Odisha, recent records indicate its absence in these two regions.
The Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve harbor a rich array of mammalian species, including the Indian wild boar, Indian gaur, sambar, hoolock or white-browed gibbon, Gangetic dolphin, capped langur or leaf monkey, sloth bear, leopard, and the jackal.