Blog: Supporting Otter Conservation at Colchester Zoological Society

Rebecca Moore (Zoological Director, Colchester Zoological Society) describes the charity's role in taking a global approach on the conservation of the otter: 

Otter species have featured in Colchester Zoological Society’s (CZS) plans for many years. Asian short-clawed otters have been held since before the 1980s, with over thirty pups born in the 1990s, and a group of smooth-coated otters housed since 2010, with breeding success between 2011-2020. As key species within our Institutional Species Plan (ISP), CZS is dedicated to delivering a multi-faceted approach to their conservation.

In 2018, the IUCN SSC (Species Survival Commission) Otter Specialist Group developed a global strategy for their conservation¹. The strategy highlights the role ex situ management plays in the conservation of otter species with a particular aim to implement the One-Plan Approach.

Here are some of the projects this approach encompasses:

Managing the Smooth-coated Otter EEP (EAZA Ex-situ Programme)

CZS is dedicated to this objective; our head keeper has managed the EAZA Smooth-Coated Otter EEP since February 2024, coordinating a population across 15 institutions. To boost this work by increasing genetic diversity, there are hopes to collaborate with the Southeast Asian Zoos and Aquariums Association (SEAZA). The EEP is supporting this by  providing information on otter care for rehabilitation centres in Cambodian and Vietnamese. 

Partnering with the International Otter Survival Fund to Improve Rescue Facilities

In order to further in situ links, in 2012 and 2013, CZS partnered with the International Otter Survival Fund (IOSF) to improve facilities at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Recue Centre in Cambodia, with donations amounting to £8,974. Funds were utilised to improve facilities for rescued hairy-nosed otters and to build a new enclosure for smooth-coated otters.

Partnering with IOSF to Organise Capacity Building Workshops

Another priority action of the strategy is to organise workshops for capacity building, conservation education, and awareness in all range countries.

In 2014, IOSF submitted a proposal to CZS to provide funds to help facilitate a capacity building workshop in Bangladesh, and in 2016 to facilitate a workshop in China. The aim of such workshops is to train conservationists, government officials and other parties to engage with otters, demonstrate techniques in education, research, dealing with threats and other similar conservation issues. The funded Chinese workshop was the first ever workshop on otters held in China and 33 participants attended from eight different countries.

A subsequent donation in 2017 helped facilitate another workshop to encourage cross-border collaboration to counter the illegal trade and encourage better law enforcement and otter protection in Laos, Myanmar and China, and further funding in 2022, enabled a sixth Asian workshop, this time in Malaysia. During the Malaysian workshop, 71 delegates attended in person or remotely.

Following this series of workshops, with a total of £19,680 contributed by CZS, work is now ongoing in communities through country networks linked together by an Asian Otter Conservation Network to continue working towards the conservation of these species.

Hosting a Capacity Building Workshop at CZS

In 2024, the IOSF approached CZS about supporting a two-day workshop on the Eurasian Otter. We jumped at the chance to host the workshop...what better way to directly support and facilitate capacity building!

In November 2025 we followed this up inviting 65 delegates from 20 countries to CZS, either in person or remotely. Day one focused on regional status reports from Europe, Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, to sessions on developments and threats, such as the impact of fisheries, illegal killing, culls and disease, and talks on survey techniques and monitoring via tools such as footprint ID, detection dogs and the role of citizen scientists in eDNA surveys.

Day 2 covered educational topics, with talks revolving around working with communities and #ShareSavvy, habitat restoration, reintroduction and code of practice for releases. The end goal of the workshop was to form a Eurasian Otter Network so that more information and experience can be shared.

Future Otter Conservation Support

Our wetland to the south of the zoo is managed to encourage native wildlife and otters have been seen along our stretch of the Roman River. Education is key; educating our visitors on the importance of otters in their natural setting and to highlight the threats these otters are facing, communicating how they are an indicator species for a healthy aquatic habitat. Talks are also underway with the Essex Wildlife Trust following their successful talk on eDNA at the recent conference to see how our staff members can assist survey techniques around Essex going forwards.

CZS remains committed to otter conservation, with our efforts to date demonstrating the wide range of methods by which zoos and aquaria can support prioritised global conservation efforts for our species.

- Rebecca Moore, Zoological Director, Colchester Zoological Society

Reference
1 - Duplaix, N. and M. Savage (2018), The Global Otter Conservation Strategy. IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Group, Salem, Oregon, USA.

All blogs reflect the views of their author and are not necessarily a reflection of BIAZA's position