A pile of poop belonging to a Eurasian river otter is actually very exciting because of where researchers found it. The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) lives in western Europe and Asia, but the species has nearly disappeared in China thanks to hunting, habitat loss, water pollution, and prey reduction. Though scientists believed it to be locally extinct in Hong Kong, the Eurasian otter has proved it’s still around by leaving piles of poop for researchers to find and rejoice over.
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“This discovery substantially broadens the current known range of otters in Hong Kong, which not only brings hope for this locally critically endangered species but also indicates that the otters’ habitats extend beyond coastal wetlands and rivers to include offshore islands and adjacent marine environments,” writes kfbg.official, a Chinese nonprofit, in an Instagram post sharing the news.
Although it’d be even more exciting to see trail-cam footage of the elusive river otter in an area where it was thought to be extinct, its feces will have to do for now.
See some exciting Eurasian otter poop here: