In the depths of Malaysia’s Tangkulap Forest Reserve, researchers with the conservation group Panthera were reviewing footage from hidden cameras when something remarkable appeared on screen.
The cameras, originally placed to track the endangered flat-headed cat, picked up an unexpected visitor — a Eurasian otter. It was the first time in over a decade that the species had been seen in Malaysia.
“The Eurasian otter has long been a mysterious species in Malaysia, with very little evidence confirming its presence here,” said Tee Thye Lim, Project Coordinator for Panthera Malaysia.
For years, conservationists feared the otters had vanished from the country altogether. But this single sighting proved otherwise — and it turned out to be even more significant than they imagined.
“This photographic evidence not only confirms the species’ presence in the Tangkulap Forest Reserve, but it also makes this area the only known location in Malaysia to host all four of the country’s native otter species,” Lim explained.
Alongside the Eurasian otter, the reserve is home to the Asian small-clawed otter, the smooth-coated otter, and the hairy-nosed otter — a testament to the region’s incredible biodiversity and the success of ongoing conservation efforts.
The captured footage showed the elusive otter navigating an area affected by flooding, briefly passing in front of the camera before doubling back and disappearing from view.
Though the sighting was fleeting, it was enough to give researchers hope.
“This discovery is incredibly exciting, especially since the last confirmed Eurasian otter sighting was in 2014,” Lim said.
For now, the team is celebrating the rare proof that Eurasian otters still call Malaysia home — and they’re hopeful more sightings will follow.
