Specimen C 30005 Taxidermied Mount - Giant Otter, 'Sad Otter', Pteronura brasiliensis

Summary

This taxidermied Giant Otter specimen earned the nickname of 'Sad Otter' from its expression. It became a popular meme after being featured on the website 'Bad Taxidermy' in 2012.

Giant Otters occur across a wide range of South America, east of the Andes in rivers, streams, swamps and lakes. This specimen came from Suriname. It was originally registered into the museum's collection in 1884.

In the early 1970s Giant Otters nearly became extinct from overhunting for their pelts. Though widely distributed individual populations are very small and isolated making them very vulnerable. As with many species in the Amazon they are very susceptible to human impact on their habitats, such as deforestation, overfishing, changes in water regimes from hydroelectric dams and contamination from human settlements and mining. These impacts will only increase over time. This combination of current and future threats means that Giant Otters are currently listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as Endangered. They are also listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to ensure that international trade does not threaten them with extinction.