A little creature with whiskers like a professor 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's shy, smart, playful, and very important for the ecology. It has its own holiday — World Otter Day. Celebrated on the last Wednesday of May. In 2026, it's May 27th. 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

Otters are predatory mammals 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 limbs with webbing, a powerful tail (like a rudder), a thick fur that doesn't let water in. The color is brown, the belly is light. Weight — from 5 to 15 kg.

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

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 clumsy, but 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 don't eat trash — 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.

They are territorial. One otter owns a stretch of river 2-10 km long. They mark the boundaries with excrement (which smells of fish, jasmine, and musk). They don't let strangers in, but sometimes play with neighbors.

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

Why otters are disappearing

The population of otters has sharply decreased in the 20th century. Reasons: hunting (the fur is highly valued), river pollution (pesticides, heavy metals), draining of swamps, deforestation along riverbanks. In the 1950s, the otter almost disappeared in Europe. In Russia, its population also decreased, but it is now recovering.

The second reason is death in fishing nets and traps. The otter gets tangled and drowns. The third reason is the reduction of the food base due to overfishing. The fourth reason 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 ask not to kill it.

How and where to celebrate Otter Day

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

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

In the US: they launch the flashmob #OtterDay. People post photos with toy otters, videos from zoos, funny facts. In Japan: they pray for the purity of rivers in temples and then release fry of trout into rivers where otters live.

On the Internet: live broadcasts from otter enclosures are conducted. 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. Don't throw trash in rivers and lakes. Batteries, plastic, oil are especially dangerous. Don't wash your car by the river. Keep the banks clean — participate in cleanup days.

If you're a fisherman, don't set nets in places where otters live. If you catch one by accident, carefully release it. Don't kill! This species is under threat. Don't buy fur products. A real otter fur coat is poaching. Synthetics keep you warm too.

Support organizations for the rescue of wild animals — you can even translate 100 rubles. Plant trees by the river — this will strengthen the bank and provide shelter for otters. Tell your friends about Otter Day — the more people know, the greater the chance of saving 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. That's why otters don't 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. Often they hold their legs to not float away from each other. Pairs and families sleep like this.

Otter cubs can't swim when they are born. Their mother teaches them by 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 anyone who killed an otter would be cursed. In Scandinavian sagas, the otter is the embodiment of the god Loki (he could turn 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 saying: "Cunning as an otter." Or "The otter doesn't muddy the water, it's clean itself." The otter is a totem animal for Siberian peoples. You couldn't kill it without a need.

In modern culture: the otter is the 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 (by the waterfall), London (in the park).

Otter and human: conflict or neighbor

Conflict: otters 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 riverbanks, may erode embankments. But this happens rarely.

Neighbor: in Europe, otters come to 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, you can see otters in Bитцевский лес and on the Sходнa River. This means the water is getting cleaner.

The main thing is not to tame a wild otter. It's not a cat. It can bite, cause injury. Rabies infection is possible (rare, but there is). Enjoy 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), don't touch! 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.

Don't try to warm it up, feed it, treat it yourself. Otters are stress animals. They may die from fear. Don't give it to a zoo without permission — it's already crowded there. The best option is a rehabilitation center.

If you find a cub (small, blind) — the mother is nearby. Don't take it. Leave and wait. The mother will come. If the cub cries for more than 2 hours, call the experts.

Conclusion: why otters are important for the planet

Otters are the top of the food chain in rivers. They regulate the number of fish by eating the weak and sick. They don't let crabs and frogs breed to the point of epidemic. Thanks to the otter, the river is healthy. If the otter disappears, there will be a imbalance, the river will become sick, overgrown with algae, and turn acidic.

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

World Otter Day is not about the little creature. It's about us. Can we preserve nature so that otters return? So that our children can see how it catches fish and plays at sunset? Think about it on May 27th. And if you decide — help. At least don't throw trash. The otter will thank you. Silently, because it can't talk. But you will understand.

Permanent link to this publication: