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Otter Program

Cikananga is the only rescue center in Indonesia that focuses on the rehabilitation & release program for otters. Today, otters are under large pressure with the pet trade as one of their main threats to survival.

Otter Program

Project SERO (Supportive Environments for the Region's Otters) is a network of animal conservation and animal welfare professionals with a special focus on the four otter species found in Southeast Asia. The Otter pet trade is one of the main threats to the survival of Otters in Indonesia. Otters (especially Asian small-clawed Otters) are very popular as pets and are sold in physical markets and, more commonly, online on sites such as Facebook. Cikananga is the only rescue center that focuses on the rehabilitation & release program for otters in Indonesia.

Project SERO was formed in 2010 following a collaborative rescue by the Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) and Cikananga Wildlife Center, of an Asian Small-clawed (ASC) Otter pup. This rescue event highlighted a need for more focused conservation attention on Otters in Indonesia as there were no centers that specialized in their care and rehabilitation.

The people and organizations involved (including Wanicare) in this rescue formed Project SERO, which had the main aims to start a rehabilitation and release program for Otter, improve husbandry of captive Otters, start an education program to raise public awareness about Otters and their environments, moves towards protected status for the Asian Small-clawed Otter, and create and maintain protected environments for wild Otter populations.

Since Cikananga had already Asian small-clawed otters in their care, the center was selected as the best site to focus rehabilitation efforts of rescued Otters, housing them in enclosures that allow them the opportunity to maintain and develop natural behaviors.

For Otters that can’t be released due to habituation to humans or physical issues, for example, the facilities were also built to be able to provide permanent sanctuary.

To improve the situation and welfare of Indonesian otters, we help with

  1. Studying the ecology of wild otters in their natural environment,

  2. Rescuing and rehabilitating seized otters, to keep them released back into their natural habitat.

The first two Asian short-clawed otters (Aonyx cinereus) were successfully released at the end of 2018. We hope to release many more in the future. Unfortunately, the 5 Asian short-clawed otters we currently have in Cikananga, can not be released due to health issues, cut canines, and because they are too used to humans.