Gov't says otters likely living on isle after 1st Japan sighting in 38 yrs

The Environment Ministry said Monday three wild otters are likely inhabiting Tsushima Island in southwestern Japan, after reporting last year the first sighting of the mammal in the country in 38 years.The otters -- two males and one female -- were identified as Eurasian otters, a species also found in South Korea, and not Japanese river otters, which were last spotted in 1979 and are believed to be extinct, according to the ministry.The ministry analyzed 10 excrement samples collected from the island to identify the sex and DNA characteristics of the otters and found that one of the male o…READ FULL ARTICLE