Srisailam's Pathala Ganga turns a haven for smooth-coated otters

NANDYAL: A group of smooth-coated otters were spotted on the jetty arranged by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporate (APTDC) in Srisailam’s Pathala Ganga on Monday and grabbed the attention of the tourists.

These creatures live along banks of River Krishna and their presence signifies the maintenance of the river ecosystem and indicates that the river ecosystem is very healthy. Otters would consume the fish especially in the surroundings of Srisailam reservoir when the water level rises due to inflows from the upstream or the water level in the dam falls, the fishermen said.

Unlike every year, these creatures reached jetty set up by AP Tourism in Pathala Ganga. Usually, the otters would disappear where they found humans presence. But, these creatures on Monday appeared on the jetty of the tourism department and roamed the enitre premises. With this, several tourists compete among themselves to capture their visuals.