VADODARA: The vulnerable smooth-coated otters that had made a comeback in central and south Gujarat in past one decade are now facing serious threat from poachers in Hansot taluka of Bharuch.In fact, even before the otters were rediscovered on the basis of the photographic evidence, poachers had been targeting this species which is protected under schedule-II in the Wildlife Protection Act-1972 and categorized as ‘vulnerable’ in the IUCN Red list of threatened species.Poaching activity of the otters was unearthed by the city-based Gujarat Ecology Society (GES) that had rediscovered them in 2016. While it was believed that the local prawn farm owners and fishermen were killing the otters to protect their harvests, investigation conducted by GES with the support of Wildlife Trust of India and Stop Poaching Fund revealed that a gang led by a Haryana man has been targeting the otters since 2011 for its water-resistant skin. The skin is smuggled to Nepal, Myanmar, China and Bhutan as it is used for making jackets, hats, mufflers and traditional skirts worn by women in China.“Otter skin fetches high price in international market as it is water resistant. The poachers trick locals by saying that otters are used for making medicines for arthritis and energy pills,” said Akshit Suthar, who is working with the GES. He added that the locals were anyway in conflict with otters as they believed that otters eat up fishes resulting in losses.“Since the poacher was helping them decrease the otter menace, they cooperated by placing the traps near the water bodies,” Suthar added.The investigation conducted by GES revealed that the poacher had formed a gang with the help of seven locals who assisted him in different ways. The findings of GES which have been shared with the government agencies revealed that the villages in which the water bodies are targeted the most are Sisodra, Sunav, Bolav, Parvat, Jetpor, Ankalva, Vansoli, Kanta Sayan, Vamleshwar, Motvan and Hajat. Suthar said that as per an estimate at least 50 otters have been poached since 2011.The gang of poachers has used clutch wire snares and traps for trapping the otters. “When the otter comes out of the water body, it grooms itself by rolling on floor to dry its fur. During that grooming activity they get trapped,” Suthar told TOI. During anti-snare drives two clutch wire snares and two traps were seized.