How to be an Otter – early elementary nature book

How to be an Otter is a tale of what otters do, as told by an elder otter to the otter pups.

This book is brought to us by Pratham Books, a book in every child’s hands. See more books by Pratham in our Pratham-Storyweaver category.

Text from How to be an Otter

Learn to swim. Learn to swim well. Well enough to catch fish, and escape from danger. Your webbed feet and long, paddle-like tail will help you.

Look after your fur coat. It is waterproof and will help keep you warm when swimming in cold waters.

Know your fish. You will grow to like fishy smells and smelly fish. You’ll find small fish and large fish and fish that look like snakes, and even some with cat-like whiskers. Not all of them are easy to catch! But remember, NEVER eat dead fish.

The river is your home. It is here, on the banks of the river, that you will dig a den for your family.

You will live in a group, as a family. You will hunt and play together. You will also protect each other.

The elders of the family will guard the pups. Listen to the elders, for they know the river well.

The river is also your playground. Here, you will have sand to dig, places to hide, and rocks to nap on.

Learn to share your space. You will have to share the river with large herons, shy turtles, peaceful pelicans, honking ducks and moody mugger crocodiles. The mugger crocodiles prefer to be left alone. DO NOT disturb them!

The fisherman can be your friend, but watch out for his nets. Like us, the fisherman needs to catch fish to feed his family. Keep away from him, and he will keep away from you.

Stay away from anything that does not belong to the river—it could be a trap. Do not be curious about shiny, metallic objects.

The river will keep changing. Your favourite sandbank may disappear tomorrow, just asit may return after the rainy season. You have to learn quickly and trust your instincts. And remember, the river will always be your home.

<End of text from How to be an Otter>

See more stories like this in our Nature category or our Animals category.