The camera traps installed at the Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR)—located 850 km northeast of Mumbai—recorded the first-ever photographic evidence of a Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) within its landscape. NNTR is spread across Gondia and Bhandara districts, bordering Chhattisgarh. The reserve falls under the Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest (5A/C3) category, as per Champion and Seth’s classification of Indian forests.

Speaking to mid-day Jayarame Gowda R, field director, NNTR, said, “NNTR has recorded the first-ever photographic evidence of the Eurasian otter within its landscape. This significant discovery was made during the extensive Phase IV monitoring for 2024-2025, conducted through camera trap surveys across the reserve. The monitoring covered an expansive area of around 1894.90 km², including both the core and buffer zones of NNTR, which spans across Gondia and Bhandara districts in Maharashtra.”