Giant River Otter Believed Locally Extinct Resurfaces in Argentina

A giant river otter was spotted in the El Impenetrable National Park in northeast Argentina on May 16, where it was previously thought to have been locally extinct, according to the Rewilding Argentina Foundation.

Sebastian Di Martino, Conservation Director of the Rewilding Argentina Foundation, was kayaking on May 16 when he spotted the otter in the Bermejo River, the foundation said.

“The last confirmed records of giant otter family groups in Argentina are from the 1980s,” Rewilding Argentina wrote on Facebook. “From then on, only a few inaccurate records of solitary specimens are known. In the Bermejo River the extinction was verified much earlier, at least 100 years ago. Or so we thought.”

“The Impenetrable continues to give us surprises, showing us that nature is resilient and that, if we help it a little, it can recover.”

The foundation said the white markings on the animal’s chest confirmed it was a giant river otter. Credit: Rewilding Argentina Foundation via Storyful