BENGALURU: Bannerghatta National Park (BNP), a fragmented forest patch abutting the tech City- Bengaluru, is now home to smooth-coated otters, apart from tigers, elephants, leopards, sloth bears and other protected wildlife species.

Smooth-coated otters, a freshwater species dependent on clean, flowing water for survival and movement, have surprised naturalists and experts with their presence in the area.

The sighting has been documented in a report titled “Smooth-Coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) observation near a community reserve in BNP,” prepared by A Rocha and published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa on March 26, 2026.

Teams from A Rocha and the Forest Department said smooth-coated otters are known to inhabit the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary and may have moved downstream into Bannerghatta National Park through seasonal rivulets that connect the two forest patches during the monsoon.

Ideally, these landscapes should be linked by well-protected wildlife corridors, but BNP remains highly fragmented and vulnerable due to rapid urbanisation in Bengaluru.

In the report, the researchers noted that these otters were previously not documented in the BNP forest. This study confirms their presence. The teams gathered data and signs of the presence of otters in and around the Chikkondanahlli Reservoir, located between BNP and Chikkondanahlli village. The teams noted spraints, tracks and feeding remains apart from direct observations.

"The results suggest that otters use reservoirs like Chikkondanahalli as an important habitat with potential movement between water bodies. The findings highlight the need for further research to understand otter movement patterns and habitat preferences in the BNP landscape. This finding marks a significant addition to the ecological knowledge of the biodiversity of the region and underscores the importance of further research into the park’s aquatic ecosystems," researchers in the report stated.

During the study period, the teams also identified several anthropogenic threats, such as fishing, cattle grazing and pollution, which impacts the quality of otter habitats and their long-term survival in the area.

The A Rocha teams said the otters were sighted two years back in BNP. Some fishermen, during their interaction with foresters and researchers said, they have been sighting otters in the region.

Also in 2014 and 2021, the presence of smooth-coated otters was recorded by other researchers in Ramanagara district and then in 2022 along CWS in Tamil Nadu, suggesting the presence of their population upstream also. Smooth Coated Otters are listed as vulnerable species in the IUCN List and are protected under Schedule-1 of the Wildlife Protection, Amendment Act 2022.

This story has been written by Bosky Khanna of The New Indian Express.