And we saw them!
Okay, I admit we knew about Singapore’s otters prior to visiting – the population has been documented on BBC (among others) in the past. However, we weren’t really expecting to actually see them in the flesh.
But we did! One day while walking through the East Coast Park we heard a rustling in one of the many tidal drainage ditches. Looking to our left, it happened to be a whole family of otters! Specifically, these are Smooth-Coated Otters (you can also see Asian Small-Clawed Otters in the city).
We had to act fast and film on our phones (no time to bust out the GoPro) as they traveled down the ditch, hunting for (and catching some – 0:25 in the above video) small fish along the way.
Then, the whole family scampered across the beach and started swimming down the coastline.
This was the last one in line – got left behind as he ate a fish in the ditch. Don’t worry, he caught up!
The otters are actually a huge success story for Singapore’s conservation efforts. Pollution and deforestation drove the island’s native otter populations away in the 1970’s, but in the past decade or so they have returned in full force. Additionally, COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020-21 allowed the population to further spread out and take free rein throughout the city. Today, the population stands at an estimated 170 otters across 17 “family” groups competing for territory. Amazing to witness in the wild!
