The greatest threat to Aonyx congica is that almost nothing is known about its behaviour or ecological niche.
The Congo Clawless Otter is closely related to the Cape Clawless Otter.
Aonyx congica is distributed throughout central Africa, as far west as Nigeria and east to Uganda and Rwanda.
Other names include Small-clawed Otter, Small-toothed Clawless Otter, Zaire Clawless Otter, Cameroon Clawless Otter.
Aonyx congica is considered as a "Lower Risk" sub-category "near threatened" species by the IUCN. CITES lists the species as "Appendix 2" except for the populations in Cameroon and Nigeria which are under "Appendix 1".