[UPDATED: March 7]
In response to AsiaOne’s queries, NParks shared that they and the Otter Working Group are working with owners and property managers to disclaim otters entry to non-public areas by way of easy infrastructure alterations, similar to meshing up gaps in gates to forestall the otters from getting into.
Householders rearing fish are suggested to make use of exclusion strategies like sealing or meshing gaps in fencing and gates, and erecting otter-proof boundaries for ponds.
Moreover, for otters which are foraging for meals reasonably than on the lookout for a spot to determine a holt within the property, the main focus is on decreasing intrusions by implementing exclusion measures the place the otters are noticed. It is because the otters are more likely to transfer on to different areas ought to they not be capable of entry the fish ponds for meals.
Relating to otters visiting residential estates, NParks famous that otters are “curious animals”.
“Whereas the principle otter households keep largely inside our waterways, they could sometimes go to residential properties with ponds, the place the fish are straightforward prey for them,” stated NParks, including that as of now, there are about 150 otters in about 10 households in Singapore.
Along with the Otter Working Group and their group of otter watchers, NParks is monitoring the otters commonly to raised perceive their inhabitants, distribution and motion patterns, and takes motion to pre-empt or mitigate battle the place attainable.
That is particularly so for areas the place the general public could come into nearer contact with otters, similar to in public areas or residential estates. These actions embody elevating consciousness by way of outreach and signage, and putting in bodily interventions similar to boundaries.
For any animal-related suggestions, the general public can attain NParks at their web site or name the Animal Response Centre helpline at 1800-476-1600.
Otters are typically properly cherished in Singapore. Nonetheless, a current uptick of otter assaults has precipitated misery to many fish house owners throughout the island.
This time round, the slippery creatures sneaked into a house at Serangoon Gardens close to Brockhampton Berwick and killed an entire pond filled with koi.
However the odd half is that the otters did not eat the fish. As an alternative, they only toyed with them.
Talking to AsiaOne, the proprietor surnamed Teo shared that six otters entered her residence — a semi-detached home with two flooring — at 5am on Thursday (March 2), and the noise woke her household up.
When the household went downstairs to research, they realised that the otters had “worn out their entire pond”.
“Most of our fish had their eyes, fins and tails ripped out. There have been a few fish who had their stomachs [ripped] out,” recounted Teo, including that the fish had been nonetheless alive after they found them.
Throughout the day, 26 out of 28 of the koi died and solely two survived the assault.
The household famous that not one of the fish had been eaten, and “they had been all toyed with”.
At present, the Teo household nonetheless has not found out how the otters had entered their residence as there aren’t any holes or gaps between the partitions and gates of their residence’s compound.
Nonetheless, they believe that the otters had climbed over the fence from their adjoining neighbour’s home, as their pet canine had caught the otters’ scent at that specific fence.
Other than their fish, one among their neighbours had his fish killed the identical morning.
“There could also be others as we had been instructed [by another resident of Serangoon Gardens that] the otters had stayed across the neighbourhood from 5am to 7am. They had been sighted on the Chomp Chomp Hawker Centre space at 6am as properly,” shared Teo.
So far as Teo was conscious, this was the primary identified assault within the space.
“The closest assault to us was at Walmer Drive final 12 months or the 12 months earlier than,” she stated.
The incident has been reported to the Nationwide Parks Board (NParks), however the household has but to obtain a reply from the board.
AsiaOne has reached out to NParks for extra particulars.
Otters do eat fish too
Whereas Teo’s koi had solely been toyed with and never eaten, there have been circumstances the place otters had devoured the fish.
Final October, Tham Yuen Ying woke as much as discover the carcasses of her beloved koi.
A number of of the fish had been additionally discovered headless across the pond.
Tham had reared the fish along with her father for greater than 20 years, and the fish lived within the two ponds constructed in the back of their Bukit Timah residence.
Some otters to be relocated from residential areas: NParks
The variety of otters in Singapore is steadily growing and has grown to 170 islandwide.
To handle the otter inhabitants, NParks is taking an built-in strategy that features relocating the creatures and probably sterilisation in the long run, reported The Straits Instances final October.
The primary such operation passed off final October, and 6 otters that had taken up residence in a Seletar housing property had been relocated by NParks employees.
Earlier than relocating the animals, NParks had “monitored these otters carefully” to evaluate in the event that they had been appropriate for switch.
To relocate them, perimeter fencing was put in across the holt the otter had created, NParks shared with The Straits Instances.
As soon as the otters had been secured, they had been transferred to an space away from human visitors and with considerable meals sources.
ALSO READ: Otter assault? Hougang house owner heartbroken after discovering $50,000 value of koi decimated
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