After more than a decade of absence in Argentina, the giant otter Pteronura brasiliensis has been spotted on the Bermejo River within the Impenetrable National Park, located in the northeastern part of the country.
Last week, a giant otter—a wildlife species feared to be extinct due to habitat loss and hunting—was discovered on the Bermejo River in Chaco Province, Argentina.
The last sighting of giant otters in the wild in Argentina was reported in the 1980s, according to The Guardian.
“It was a huge surprise,” said Sebastián Di Martino, conservation director at Fundación Rewilding Argentina. “I couldn’t believe my eyes. An extraordinary feeling of happiness washed over me. I didn’t know whether to keep watching it or go back to report it to others.”
Mr. Di Martino captured images of the otter while kayaking.
“It surfaced, so I could see its white chest, a feature that helped me recognize it as a giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)“, he stated. “It is a large animal, measuring up to 1.8 meters long and weighing over 30 kg.”
The giant otter had not been seen in Argentina for over a decade. (Photo: Getty).
Director Di Martino provided two possible explanations for this sighting.
“The giant otter population, which is globally endangered, currently resides in the Paraguayan Pantanal and may have reached this river (the Bermejo) after traveling over 1,000 kilometers,” he explained. “The other possibility is that there is a remnant population of this species in Argentina that humans have yet to discover.”
According to experts, otters play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance. “Giant river otters, as top predators, influence the regulation of aquatic ecosystems,” Mr. Di Martino noted.
Therefore, this species is part of the ecosystem restoration project by Rewilding Argentina, aimed at reintroducing top predators to their native habitats.
The return of the giant otter in Argentina reinforces the argument that if wild areas are protected, wildlife will return and life can flourish once again,” Mr. Di Martino added.
