The Elusive Cape Clawless Otter

Studying the unseen, The African (Cape) clawless otter.  Hear the stories and early lessons from tracking otters along the coast.

Cape clawless otters are widespread but rarely seen, and their use of coastal and estuarine habitats remains poorly understood. Lauren Moriarty shares her early findings from ongoing tracking and field observations in the Garden Route, revealing how these elusive predators move through human-influenced coastal systems. It highlights the value of community reports and citizen science in building knowledge, and why understanding these hidden animals is key to protecting healthy, functioning coastal ecosystems.

ABOUT LAUREN MORIARTY

Lauren Moriarty is the Rivers and Estuaries Programme Manager at NVT, working as a coastal ecologist focused on freshwater and estuarine ecosystem conservation in the Garden Route. Her work includes biodiversity monitoring, river health assessments, and estuary research, with a growing focus on Cape clawless otter movements. She integrates citizen science into her work and is committed to bridging the gap between ecological research and public awareness.