SCIENCE IN THE NEWS DAILY
Hopes Alive for Near-extinct Otter Seen in Borneo
from the San Francisco Chronicle
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (Associated Press) -- A photograph snapped on Borneo Island of an otter once thought to be extinct in Malaysia has raised hopes that there's still time to save the creature, an official said Monday.
The image of the hairy-nosed otter -- sometimes called Asia's rarest -- was captured by a remote camera planted by scientists in a forest reserve and could bolster conservationists' efforts to seek stronger government protection for threatened species in Borneo's biologically diverse jungles.
The otter derives its name from hairs at the end of its nose. It has mainly brown fur, a flat tail and a whitish chin. Its population has declined mainly because of hunting for its fur and meat as well as the loss of its wetland habitats to human development.
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