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THATTA: Socialising is an instinct which is found both in humans and beast as had been recently proved when an indigenous otter got a female companion after remaining stag for a year. It wailed and wailed from dawn to dusk but in vain.
Otter, locally called Lodhra, faced double trouble. First it was plucked from the natural habitat and secondly no companion was there to provide him company. It wailed and groaned at the heartlessness of the conservator of Wildlife Saeed Baloch who captured the animal from near Chotiyarioon Dam and caged it at Haleji Lake.
An environmentalist brought otter’s plight to limelight in a meeting of the WWF- Indus for All Programme. He reported that a semi aquatic mammal was languishing in a narrow cage that can barely fit the animal and away from a female and natural habitat. This was in violation of the Sindh Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1972.
People berated the official for displacing the water animal and demanded establishment of sanctuaries and breading of otter to save thsi indigenous specie from extinction.
Syed Fazal Shah Game Warden and in-charge Haleji Lake when contacted said the female was recently brought by the conservator Saeed Baloch from Sanghar district and kept in the newly erected 100x150 ft enclosure with sand dunes and a comparatively natural environment.
The male otter is happy on finding a mate and people over couple’s reunion.
