Today we went to a university to attend a lecture about human-otter conflict. We learned that this type of conflict was prevalent in a muslim-majority community. I found this interesting because most of what we saw were Buddhist, so this was the first time we were seeing a community with a different religious practice from the majority.
Otters have been raiding these communities for the fish that were being bred, which are needed for the livelihood of the breeders (like being a source of food and income). We visited the home of an individual that was experiencing this issue first hand. Throughout this trip, it was immensely impactful to hear from first-hand individuals. As a future animal-behaviorist, it’s sometimes easy to lose sight of humanity when thinking of what’s best for the animals. These encounters and lessons with farmers was eye opening and a reminder of the human side of these conflicts and the set backs that humans may be having.
We went back to the hotel and I spent the rest of the night exploring the floors and the mall.
ChyteaTalks 