Loutre a cou tacheté

Like other otter species, abundance and density of Spotted-necked Otter appear to be dependent, in part, on the availability of fish; consequently, this species historically was common or fairly common in the fish-rich Central African lakes, but generally uncommon or rare in the rest of Africa where fish fauna tends to be poor (Rowe-Rowe 1990, 1995; d'Inzillo Carranza and Rowe-Rowe 2013). In an area that included a highland stream and man-made lakes in South Africa, Perrin et al. (2000) estimated one otter/1–2 km of stream, while in less suitable habitat Rowe-Rowe (1992) estimated one otter/6–11 km. In a more recent study (Kubheka et al. 2013) detected only 25% of the number of spraints located during two previous studies in an area of intense human disturbance but roughly the same number of spraints located in an undisturbed area during the latter 1993 study indicating a reduction in otter numbers in areas of increased human presence. In the Central and East African lakes, density was estimated at between one and two otters per kilometre of shoreline (Procter 1963, Kruuk and Goudswaard 1990, Lejeune and Frank 1990 cited in D’Inzilla-Carranza and Rowe-Rowe 2013). A more recent study (2006 – 2011) of Lake Victoria detected what could be a similar abundance on portions of the protected shoreline of Rubondo Island National Park, but local sources reported a perceived decline in, or absence of otters along other portions of the lake’s shorelines.

Their abundance also appears to be dependent on suitable habitat (Reed-Smith 2010) which includes dense vegetative cover (Dognimon et al. 2019) and/or the presence of large, piled boulder shorelines. Early studies of this species inhabiting large East African lakes and South African riverine systems reported observations of group size ranging up to approximately 20 individuals (Rowe-Rowe and Somers 1998, Reed-Smith unpublished data). Recent studies in East Africa (Reed-Smith et al. 2010, Reed-Smith et al. in preparation, and unpublished data for Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda) indicate population declines due to habitat loss, water course changes due to drought, increased human populations, and increased eradication of otters as perceived competitors as well as for consumption and traditional medicine. Based on informant interviews in East Africa (Reed-Smith et al. 2010 and unpublished data) as well as reports from other range countries, this species is seldom observed or not seen as often as it was 10 years ago and groups of more than five are rarely seen. Over the last six years, in areas of Lake Victoria where otters were routinely observed, informants now report rarely or never seeing them. From West Africa, recent studies have reported the presence of the Spotted-necked Otter to the south of Benin (Dognimon et al. 2019) based on field observation. Overfishing and destruction of the wetland habitat for agriculture are the main reasons of the declining population trend according to the local perception.  Although the species has been previously reported form the Northern Cape Province from the Vaal River (Stuart 1981, Skinner and Chimimba, 2005), Power and Slater-Jones (2010) reported a  range extension up to the Orange River, 1200 km downstream of the existing range, though they have mentioned that intensive surveys are required to determine their extensive occurrence in the Orange River.

Unfortunately, beyond these personal accounts, there is a lack of data availability on the status and ecology of this species throughout most of their historic range for the last fifteen years and only marginally more for the last 30 years. An additional problem in assessing their status is that throughout most of their range there is often no distinction made by local people between Hydrictis maculicollis and Aonyx capensis or A. congicus which are sympatric species in some parts of their range countries.