STATUS OF THE HAIRY-NOSED OTTER (Lutra sumatrana) IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA.

An individual, of one of the most elusive and endangered of the otter species, the Hairy-nosed Otter (Lutra sumatrana) was seen on the Sungai Relau in Taman Negara, Malaysia, in September 2013 almost two decades since the last recorded observation of the species in 1994, in Perak, another part of the peninsular (Baker, 2013). The project reported here was initiated in and around Taman Negara based on the 2013 observation, to gain a better understanding of the population size, habitat type, threats and the conservation measures required to improve the status of the Hairy-nosed Otter. Unfortunately, 7 months of continuous camera trapping, riverbank surveys and observations along the Sungai Relau and the Sungai Ceruai resulted in no Hairy-nosed Otter records. However, the project confirmed the presence of Asian Small-clawed Otter (Aonyx cinereus) and Smooth-coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) in and around Taman Negara National Park while highlighting a number of threats to otter species in the area and providing an overview of the attitudes of local people to otters and otter conservation, especially of the indigenous Bateq community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]