“Otters are lovely and liked by youngsters all around the world – but many do not know that now we have our personal, distinctive otter, solely discovered on the African continent” (Provided/Dr Nicola Okes)
Rising up in Kommetjie, a small city within the Western Cape, Dr Nicola Okes says she had all the time been fascinated by a household of otters dwelling close to her grandmother’s house.
“Their shy and elusive nature meant we might by no means see the otters – simply indicators of them: their footprints for instance, in order a toddler, they appeared magical to me,” Dr Okes recollects.
This magical household of otters would encourage the biologist to review semiaquatic marine life at college, which might ultimately lead her to pen her first children’s book, Otters Manner House.
“Otters are lovely and liked by youngsters all around the world – but many do not know that now we have our personal, distinctive otter, solely discovered on the African continent. I needed to have fun our otters and illustrate the challenges they face in a delicate means, all whereas showcasing the great thing about the Cape Peninsula,” Okes defined.
Dr Okes says youngsters may also discover the e book fairly relatable given the traits they share with the otter.
“Each otters and youngsters are naturally curious, typically shy and might discover it exhausting to ask for assist. But after they do discover and have interaction, there are numerous wonders to be seen and skilled”.
Additionally learn: 10 ways to encourage a reluctant reader
‘The magic and great thing about the character round them’
Elaborating additional, the creator and biologist says she felt it essential to make use of her scientific analysis to encourage future generations.
“As essential as scientific analysis is for our understanding of the way to defend the pure surroundings, it’s equally essential to encourage younger youngsters to interact within the magic and great thing about the character round them”.
Okes credit the paintings of Gerda Smit and the work of authors from the African Penguin Collection for bringing her imaginative and prescient of Otters Manner House to life.
‘Struggling as a result of human and residential encroachment’
By means of her e book, Dr Okes additionally hopes to boost consciousness concerning the environmental wants of the Cape Clawless Otter and the threats they face as a result of inhabiting city areas.
“The otter inhabitants in Cape City particularly – within the city areas – are struggling as a result of human and residential encroachment into their wetland habitat. This implies not solely do they run out of area but in addition that the waterways and waterbodies they depend on are getting more and more polluted,” she explains.
Residing in such shut proximity to people additionally makes them weak to poisoning and automotive accidents, the biologist says.
“As otters transfer at evening or early morning from their wetland habitat the place they sleep to the ocean the place they forage; they cross busy coastal roads and are susceptible to automotive collisions,” Okes says, including that the residents of Cape City have been instrumental in monitoring and reporting these native creatures.
“Monitoring of otters continues by means of using surveys in addition to sightings submitted by residents throughout Cape City. Any stories of otter sightings may be submitted to the African Otter Community, and these go right into a database to assist map out otter occupancy throughout the area”.
Otters Manner House is out there at choose shops throughout the Cape peninsula and in addition straight from iCWild, who supported the unique PhD analysis and the printing of the e book.
Chatback:
Share your tales and questions with us by way of e mail at chatback@parent24.com. Nameless contributions are welcome.
Do not miss a narrative!
For a weekly wrap of our newest parenting information and recommendation signal as much as our free Parent24 newsletter.
