Although this species has a large distribution range, it remains restricted to areas of permanent fresh water, with sufficient shoreline cover and an abundant prey base. Thus, while the distribution range is large, the spatial size of their occupied habitats is much smaller and unknown, particularly due to the widespread habitat destruction and pollution reported for much of the African continent (Ponsonby et al. 2016). The impact of global climate change throughout Africa (Magadza 1994, Dixon et al. 2003, Hendrix and Glaser 2007) also has the potential of decreasing suitable habitat for otters and increasing human-otter conflict for increasingly scarce resources such as water, land, and fish. Both this decrease in suitable habitat and increase in human-otter conflict are currently occurring and will certainly increase over the next three generations (13 years). This reassessment is based on a perceived (in regions where studies have been conducted; Ray et al. 2005, Somers and Nel 2013) and assumed (in regions where no studies have been done) population decline over the last 18 years and beyond. In much of their range, populations of African Clawless Otters are faced with habitat loss or degradation, polluted waters, and/or degraded aquatic ecosystems due to the introduction of invasive alien species such as Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and marginal agricultural practices. This habitat disturbance is exacerbated by poor sanitation infrastructure and growing industrial waste pollution. Moreover, the regional human populations are poverty-stricken, as a consequence, there is an ever-increasing pressure on all natural resources including water, vegetation, the otter prey base, as well as reducing suitable resting and denning sites vital to survival of the species. Thus, due to inferred cumulative effects of the threats, it is suspected that the African Clawless Otter population underwent a reduction in population by at least 20% in the past three generations (13 years based on Pacifici et al. 2013). Therefore, the species is assessed as Near Threatened (nearly meets criterion A2cde). Additionally, the exacerbation of these threats may lead to a suspected future population decline of at least 20% over the next three generations (nearly meets criterion A3), further supporting the Near Threatened assessment.