Enhancing tourist opportunities to view spotted‐necked otters (Lutra maculicollis) at Rubondo Island National Park: can the apriori location of latrines simplify identifying best viewing areas?

Abstract

AbstractWe observed spotted‐necked otters (Lutra maculicollis) along a 5.17‐km section of shoreline at Rubondo Island National Park, Tanzania, during May 2008 and February, June–August 2009 to determine whether their activity areas were associated with latrine site (places along the shoreline where spotted‐necked otters scent mark by depositing scats and urine) as part of an assessment to determine how tourists or researchers can best view the species. For this assessment, we compared the distance of spotted‐necked otters sightings associated with the shoreline (n = 207) with the distance between an equal number of geographical information system (GIS)‐generated random points to the nearest latrine for each of the respective points. The mean distances for locations of spotted‐necked otter sightings to the nearest latrine differed from the mean distance of random points to latrines [171.9 m (SE = 11.30) and 66.1 m (SE = 8.16), respectively; t = −9.23, df = 412, P < 0.001]. Sightings also were much (2.6 times) closer to latrines that occurred in groups than those that were isolated (single). Establishing viewing sites at or near latrines (particularly those occurring in clusters) would thus seem an effective way to maximize opportunities to see spotted‐necked otters.