During a tiger survey at a wildlife sanctuary in India, conservationists noticed a “large-sized” mammal. The brief glimpse intrigued them and led them to set up more trail cameras for a better look at the “smooth-coated” animal.

The resulting photos were a first-of-their-kind record for the site.

A team of researchers was setting up trail cameras at Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary in March 2024 to help estimate the “tiger density” when they “saw an otter,” according to a study published Aug. 26 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Threatened Taxa.

“Little is known about otter distribution in Uttarakhand,” the surrounding state, researchers said. The wildlife sanctuary had “suitable habitat for otters,” but no one had seen them in the area.

In hopes of getting more information, researchers set u

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