Prehistory
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For as long as there have been men and otters, men have hunted otters for their skins.
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2300 BC
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Otter pictured in bas-relief in the Mastaba of Mereruka, Saqqara, 6th Dynasty
c. 2300 BCE (thanks to
Joseph A.Davis for the photograph).
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1500 BC
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Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris became the most important sea
mammals for the peoples of the Pacific Northwest of America. They
provided furs, hides, bones for tools, and teeth to use as studs
on bentwood boxes and other decorative items.
Ames & Maschner (1999)
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1000 BC
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The burnt bones of Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris) are found
in middens in California, but the level of hunting probably had
little impact on numbers.
Harris (1968)
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500 BC
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On Amchitka Island, Aleut middens show intense but localized use
of Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris), probably resulting in local
extinctions.
Harris (1968)
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75 to 79 AD
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In his "Natural History", Pliny the Elder classified otters as beavers!
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200 AD
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Some settlements in the Pacific Northwest of America were abandoned
due to over-exploitation of sea otters.
Ames & Maschner (1999)
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600-900 AD
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Tang Dynasty writer Chang Tsu says there are many fishermen in Szechwan
who rear otters to catch fish for them.
Gudger (1927)
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700 AD
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Life of Saint Cuthbert by the Venerable Bede:
"He was in the habit of rising at the dead of night,
while everyone else was sleeping, to go out and pray, returning just
in time for morning prayers. One night one of the monks watched him
creep out, then followed him stealthily to see where he was going and
what he was about. Down he went towards the beach beneath the
monastery and out into the sea until he was up to his arms and neck in
deep water. The splash of the waves accompanied his vigil throughout
the dark hours of the night. At daybreak he came out, knelt down on
the sand, and prayed. Then two otters bounded out of the water,
stretched themselves out before him, warmed his feet with their
breath, and tried to dry him on their fur. They finished, received his
blessing, and slipped back to their watery home. He was soon home and
was in choir at the proper time with the rest of the monks."
(Thanks to David Brear, who brought this to my attention).
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c. 800 AD
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In northern Alaska, a bone figurine 14cm long dating from the Ipiutak
stage of the Norton tradition represents a fusion of human and
sea otter, probably a shaman.
Dumond (1987)
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860 AD
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Chinese writer Twan Cheng-shi states that there lived in Hu pei a
70-year old man who had raised 10 otters for catching fish.
Gudger (1927)
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12th Century
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The first pack of Otter hounds was recorded in Britain.
Chanin(1985)
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1323
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Friar Odoric of Pordenone was in China 1323-28, and saw both fishing
with cormorants and with otters in the area of the Yangtze River.
Gudger (1927)
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1408
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In Ireland, John, son of Dermott, had to produce 164 otter skins
for King Henry IV (of England) in arrears of rent.
Chanin(1985)
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1480
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Early European encyclopaedias state that otters are tamed by
fishermen to drive fish into nets.
Gudger (1927)
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1555
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Olaus Magnus says "But in Sweden with some great men they [otters]
are made so tame, that when the cook gives them the sign, they will
hop into the fish-pond, and bring forth a Fish of that bigness
he commands them; and then another, and a third, until he hath
done enough as he was bid."
Gudger (1927) also gives a copy of the
charming picture by Magnus of this scene.
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1566
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The "Acte for the Preservation of Grayne" was passed in
England, allowing Parish Constables and Church Wardens to set
bounties on otters and other pests.
Chanin(1985)
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End 16th Century
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Li Shi-chen, a Chinese writer, records that tame otters are commonly
kept for fishing in Szechwan and Shen-si.
Gudger (1927)
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1602
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In Carew's "Survey of Cornwall" he says that otters "...make bold now
and then to visite the land, and to breake their fast upon the
good man's lambs, or on the good wives pultrie..."
Harris (1968)
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1618
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In Britain, the official records of the Pell Office show a payment
of 66,13s.,4d.
on 10th October to Robert Wood, "Keeper of his majesty's
[James I's] cormorants, ospreys and otters" for making fish ponds
and for building a house to keep the fishing animals in.
Gudger (1927)
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1648
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The first account of the Brazilian Giant Otter, Pteronura brasiliensis,
by G. Marcgrave, though he might have confused it with the Tayra
(Galera barbara).
Harris (1968)
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mid 17th Century
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In the memoirs of Jan Chryzostom Pasek, the Polish country landowner, he tells how
he gave his pet otter, "Worm", to King Jan III Sobieski of Poland. The King
loved the otter and looked after him. Unfortunately one night, Worm went for
a walk, and some soldiers, not knowing he was the King's otter, shot him and
had his skin cured. When the King found out, he was so angry he put the
soldiers and the tanner into a prison tower (thanks to Karina Chruszcz for
this story).
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1653
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In the famous English fisherman Izaak Walton's "Compleat Angler", mention is made of taking an
otter cub to train for fishing as "an ingenious gentleman in
Leicestershire" had done.
Gudger (1927)
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1703
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Trained fishing otters in the Hebrides (in Scotland) are mentioned
by one Martin Martin.
Gudger (1927)
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1737
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The Sea Otter, Enhydra lutris, was first seen by a European,
Padre Taraval, on Cedros Island.
Harris (1968)
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1751
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Steller published his account of the first European expedition to
Alaska, in which he described the Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris).
Not only did he say it was there in huge numbers, and easy to kill,
but that it had wonderful fur and also that young sea otter tasted
delicious.
Harris (1968)
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1755 AD
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Johannes Low published a training manual for Swedish fishing otters.
Gudger (1927)
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1758
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Linnaeus classified the Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) and the
Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) as one and the same
animal because they were the same size...
Harris (1968)
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1776
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The North American River Otter, Lontra canadensis, was
first scientifically described (as Mustela lutra canadensis)
by J.C.D. Schreber.
Harris (1968)
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1779 AD
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In England, the poet, Oliver Goldsmith, published a work on Natural
History that includes otter training, and says, "I have seen one of
these [trained otters] go into a gentleman's pond at the word of
command, drive up the fish into a corner, and seizing upon the
largest of the whole, bring it off, in its mouth, to its master."
Gudger (1927)
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1782
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The Marine Otter, Lontra felina,
first scientifically described by G.I. Molina (as Mustela felina).
Harris (1968)
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1784
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The Asian Short-Clawed Otter (Amblonyx cinereus) was
first described by F. Wurmb as "Grijze Otter".
Harris (1968)
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1788
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The first scientific and generally reliable description of the
Giant Otter of Brazil, Pteronura brasiliensis,
by J.F. Gmelin (as Mustela lutris brasiliensis) - for such
a distinctive animal there was a lot of confusion about its identity!
Harris (1968)
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1792
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The large-scale slaughter of Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris) for
furs began. The exploration of the entire North Pacific was in many
ways fuelled by the fur trade, Sea Otters being particularly valuable.
Ames & Maschner (1999)
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19th Century
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There are many accounts of trained otters in the Yangtze region of
China. Some are muzzled for work, some collared, some are free.
They drive the fish into the nets, and some come up inside the net, and
some outside. All are described as gentle and tame and well cared for.
Gudger (1927)
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1811
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The Indian Smooth-Coated Otter, Lutrogale perspicillata,
first scientifically described by W. Marsden (as Mustela lutra).
Harris (1968)
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1818
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The Neotropical Otter, Lontra longicauda, was
first scientifically described (as Lutra longicauda)
by I.V. Olfers.
Harris (1968)
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1821
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The Cape Clawless Otter, Aonyx capensis, was
first scientifically described (as Lutra capensis) by
H.R. Schinz.
Harris (1968)
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1822
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The Sumatran Hairy-Nosed Otter, Lutra sumatrana, was
first scientifically described (as "Barang") by T.S. Raffles.
Harris (1968)
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1835
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The Spotted-Necked Otter, Lutra maculicollis,
first scientifically described by K.M.H. Lichtenstein.
Harris (1968)
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1846
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The first Eurasian Otters (Lutra lutra) bred at London Zoo.
Harris (1968)
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1847
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The Southern River Otter, Lontra provocax, was
first scientifically described (as Lutra huidobria) by C. Gay.
Harris (1968)
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1861
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In Britain, a correspondent to The Field pointed out that
the diminution in the number of otters in the steams of the North
Riding of Yorkshire had resulted in fewer trout and more eels and
coarse fish.
Harris (1968)
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1870
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Robert Swinhoe records that about 1000 miles up the Yangtze River
they came across a fisherman with a very tame and gentle otter. The fisherman
would throw his large, loose net, which was weighted at the edges,
and then let the otter (which was tethered on a long string) into
the water to drive fish under the net, which would be contracted to
trap them.
Gudger (1927)
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1873
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In Britain, a correspondent to The Field wrote that "Some
years ago a fishing club took a length of river. They 'put on' keepers
who killed the otters.... In four years the river was full of pike
and shoals of coarse fish might be seen on the gravel beds, feeding
voraciously on the trout spawn."
Harris (1968)
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1881
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The Swedish naturalist Peter Kalm, travelling in eastern North
America says of the otter "I have seen some that were as tame as dogs, and
followed their masters wherever they went...".
Gudger (1927)
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1892
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The last remaining Sea Otter, Enhydra lutris, was shot in the
Pribilof Islands.
Harris (1968)
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1910
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The Congo Clawless Otter, Aonyx congicus, was
first scientifically described (as Aonyx capensis congica)
by E. Lonnberg.
Harris (1968)
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1911
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The Sea Otter, Enhydra lutris, was accidentally included in
the Fur Seal Treaty, which protected fur seals. At this time, there
were estimated to be only 500 to 1000 Sea Otters left in the whole
world, so this was the point at which they were almost wiped out.
Harris (1968)
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1922
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A Mr Foster mentions a Peruvian man who had obtained a tame otter
with the intention of training it to fish for him.
Gudger (1927)
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1925
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North American River Otters (Lontra canadensis) were legally
protected in Manitoba. This was repealed in the 1940s.
Harris (1968)
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1937
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The Russians attempted to transplant Sea Otters (Enhydra
lutris) from the North Pacific to the Murmansk coast of the Kola
Peninsula. Two of the otters survived the journey. "It would be
interesting to know for how long these Russian experiments continued
and to what degree they were successful."
Harris (1968)
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1946
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In Britain, Mr B. Vesey-Fitzgerald, in British Game said that
the otter "...is not the menace on a salmon river that it used to
be thought. Does not merit the serious consideration of the
game preserver.". This is after the Second World War, when due to
the lack of keepers and less otter-hunting, otter numbers had
significantly recovered since the early years of the century.
Harris (1968)
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1948
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In North America, F.G. Ashbrooke reports an unsuccessful attempt
to farm the North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis)
for fur. This was probably because of their slow rate of reproduction
and greater need for space than, for example, mink.
Harris (1968)
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1949
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North American River Otters (Lontra canadensis) received
legal protection in Montana.
Harris (1968)
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1950s
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British Otter numbers began their drastic decline that led to their
extinction over much of the country by the 1970s.
Chanin(1985)
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1959
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O.J. Murie reported that the Japanese were believed to be managing
Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris) commercially in the Kurile Islands,
Harris (1968)
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1968
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The Eurasian Otter, Lutra lutra, received full legal
protection in Sweden.
Chanin (1985)
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1978
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In England and Wales, under an extension of the 1975 Conservation of
Wild Creatures and Wild Plants Act, it became illegal to catch or
kill an otter or attempt to do so.
Chanin(1985)
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1982
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The Wildlife and Countryside Act extended the otter's protection to
Scotland. Throughout mainland Britain it became illegal to catch or
kill an otter, or disturb or destroy its dens.
Chanin(1985)
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1988
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The Eurasian Otter, Lutra lutra, disappeared from The Netherlands.
Kruuk (1995)
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1989
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In Rwanda, A. LeJeune reported that the Spotted Necked Otter,
Lutra maculicollis, took an estimated one-seventh of the
local fishermen's catch, by tearing nets.
Kruuk (1995)
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