02/05/2026
Rajouri's Pushpinder Singh Jamwal Appointed IUCN Species Co-Coordinator for Eurasian Otter
Dr. Pushpinder Singh Jamwal, a conservation ecologist hailing from Rajouri (Jammu & Kashmir), has been appointed by the IUCN SSC Otter Specialist Group (OSG) as Species Co-Coordinator for the Eurasian Otter a key global position in otter conservation. He will lead the worldwide conservation initiative for Lutra lutra alongside Anna Roos (Sweden) and Aleksey Oleynikov (Russia).
Dr. Jamwal has been working in wildlife conservation since 2011, beginning his career with WWF-India, and is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Molise, Italy, where he also completed his Ph.D. on niche modelling and the future of Himalayan otters.
His scientific expertise spans environmental DNA (eDNA), species distribution modelling, landscape connectivity, occupancy modelling, and human–wildlife conflict management.
His published research on otters has significantly shaped global understanding of the species. He led the first systematic survey for the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) in Ladakh's Indian trans-Himalayas, produced the first eDNA-based detection of the Eurasian otter in southern Italy, and was the first to demonstrate high-accuracy eDNA detection of the Eurasian otter in Himalayan ecosystems. His widely cited research on the vulnerability of Himalayan otter species to climate change and land-use alterations has informed regional conservation planning, and he has further contributed to eDNA-based monitoring of the Eurasian otter's re-expansion in Central Italy.
Dr. Jamwal also serves as Deputy Coordinator of the Himalayan Otter Network (HON). As Species Co-Coordinator, he will lead the upcoming IUCN Red List and Green Status assessments for the Eurasian otter and shape global policy to reduce its extinction risk.
His appointment is a proud milestone for Rajouri, Jammu & Kashmir, and India on the global stage of wildlife conservation.
