The Ilbirs Foundation reported that otters are extinct in Kyrgyzstan. The last traces of their habitat were recorded in 2005 in the Chon-Alay district, but as a result of fishing, dam construction and deforestation of coastal forests, the population was wiped out.

Otters inhabited Kyrgyzstan's clean mountain rivers for centuries, serving as an indicator of ecological well-being. They have been replaced by the American mink, introduced during the Soviet era, which now threatens the local fauna.

The otter had a special place in Kyrgyz culture. There was a saying ‘Zhakshy kyz zhakadagy kunduz’ (‘A good girl is like an otter on the shore’), and girls were often called by the name Kunduz. When otters carried their calves, they held on to each other, which was associated with the Kyrgyz custom of seeing off the bride. Even the name Suusamyr comes from the Altaic word ‘samyr’ - meaning ‘river of otters’.