26 May World Otter Day: Insights on Singapore's Otters

Reporter / Image(s) : Chen Baozhu / Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

 

The thriving Singapore's otters are Singapore's national treasures. They use waterways to adapt to urban life. The harmonious coexistence of humans and natural wildlife is undoubtedly a unique and beautiful local scenery.

These cute little guys can be called emoji emperors in the animal world, and nobody can dispute the claim. In fact, almost all 13 species of otters in the world are becoming endangered species. Taking advantage of World Otter Day on 26 May, let’s learn more about them through the following news of knowledge on otters and pay attention to otter conservation together.

News (1)

Where did the Singapore otters come from?

About 50 years ago, due to water pollution in Singapore, the otter was once extinct. It was not until the Singapore government started the river cleaning project in 1977 that the otter "re-emerged" in the late 1990s and was said to have emigrated from the Strait of Johor.

Otters are very good environmental indicators. They need a good aquatic environment and cannot survive once the environment is polluted. The ability of otters to thrive in Singapore also shows that the ecological restoration of rivers and rivers has been successful, which is worthy of pride.

News (2)

How many otter families are there in Singapore?

The answer is 18. From the 1990s to today, there are about 90 otters belonging to 18 families active in Singapore, from Kranji in the north, the Botanical Garden in the south, and even the financial district in the city center. These families are headed by Bishan, and the others according to the English alphabet: Bedok, Jurong Lake, Kranji, Marina, Pandan, Pasir Ris, Sembawang, Seng Kang, Sentosa, Siglap, Sungei Buloh, Tanah Merah, Tuas, Ubin, Western Catchment, Yishun, Zouk/Singapore Botanic Gardens.

News (3)

Who is the leader of the otter family?

If you want to award the "Star Awards" in the otter world, then the "Bishan Family" who has appeared in the British BBC, Japan's NHK documentary, and their own wiki page is undoubtedly the super red star rating of the gods. As the ancestor of the otters who came to Singapore to settle in 2013, the 22 otters of the Bishan family have extraordinary fighting ability, and they have no otters in Singapore.

Between 2015 and 2017, Bishan and the new immigrants of Marina Bay otters had feuds. From time to time, the "otter" battle of the century was launched. In the end, the Bishan family became king and seized the feng shui treasures in the Marina Bay area, while the Marina Bay family took over after retiring to Bishan Ang Mo Kio Park, the two families have since exchanged sites.

News (4)

Zouk otters most adapted to urban life in the otter family

The Zouk family, which has risen in popularity in recent years, currently has 14 otters. Initially, they were active near the Zouk nightclub in front of the Singapore river. Later, they were driven away by the Bishan family and temporarily migrated to the Singapore Botanic Garden. The Zouk family has been wandering for a long time looking for new nests, so they wandered around the city, occasionally sneaking to the Presidential Palace, accidentally breaking into private houses, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Little India and so on. They are the most adapted to urban life in the otter family.

Recently, they often haunt the Coastal Trail. The otters who are occasionally chased by the Bishan family belong to the SBG family, which is the abbreviation of Singapore Botanic Gardens. It is estimated that they have the same blood of the Bishan and Marina Bay families as the Zouk family.

News (5)

Otters on Sentosa never visit Singapore

The most wealthy, needless to say, must be the Sentosa Otters. They live on a billionaire island and visit Sentosa Cove among the mansions and yachts on weekdays, calling them "Crazy Rich Asians" in the otter world.

Other otter families were killed in car accidents, casualties caused by territorial battles, natural enemy lizards, due to threats to humans and decrease in nature habitats, etc. The number of otters is not stable.

News (6)

The Otter version of "Romeo and Juliet"?

This story is a bit romantic. There is such a line of love in the otter rivers and lakes. After the first generation of cubs of the Marina Bay family suffered a family accident in a certain century, one otter went to a hostile family to work as an undercover agent for several years, during which he fell in love with the otter's daughter. The two otters finally decided to elope, and this pair of "Romeo and Juliet" in the otter world is the Zouk family's father and mother who loves to walk around the most.

Although Zouk was the home of the little princess of Bishan, if it encountered her parents' provocation and starts a war, the two gangs will still fight to protect the family.

News (7)

General knowledge on otters in Singapore

i. How many kinds of otters are there in Singapore?

There are two types, one is the most commonly seen smooth-coated otter, and the other is the Asian small-clawed otter, which is active in the outer islands such as Pulau Ubin and Pulau Tekong.

ii. River otters

River otters are a species of otter. They need to eat a lot of fish and are therefore greatly affected by water quality. In other words, where otters are present, it means that the water quality there is good.

The otters, which look like a smile but a little cool, usually act as a family unit, and they communicate with each other by calling. The warm and funny family behavior is full of contrasts and cuteness. If the cubs in the family are threatened, it is the rhythm of gang fights, so when you see the otter family, just look far away and do not disturb them.

iii. Asian small-clawed otter

The Asian small-clawed otter is the smallest of the 13 species of otters in the world, with a body length of only 90 cm. The round mouth meat looks like a smile, and the otter world is cute and responsible. They don’t like uncovered open areas. They often hide next to dense vegetation, dig burrows and build nests on the shore. Small-clawed otters have semi-webs between their toes, and their fingers are more flexible than other otters and can move quickly with their front paws. Hunting.

iv. The difference between sea otter and river otter

Sea otter is a creature that lives in the ocean, while river otter lives in fresh water. The difference in living environment also leads to a big difference in the shape between the two, the limbs and tail are all different.

Because of its well-developed front paws, sea otters are known as the only marine mammals that use their front paws to hunt creatures, and they even use stones to pry open aquatic shells.

v. Why does the otter roll like rubbing?

When you see otters tumbling like caterpillars, these beauty-loving otters must clean their hair by rubbing the ground. If they are not cleaned up in time, they will be covered with a lot of debris, which will affect the hair. fat. Once the fat is destroyed, the warmth of the hair will deteriorate, which is not conducive to survival. In order to keep the fur dry, otters must spend a lot of time grooming their fur a day.

vi. Is the fur of the otter  actually very thick?

Sea otters and river otters have the densest fur in the animal kingdom. There are about 1 million hairs per square inch of skin, which means they need extremely thick fur to keep warm.

Because the smooth and warm fur of otters is so popular, they have been hunted by hunters for centuries. Their fur is made into fur coats, which has caused many otter species to be on the verge of extinction.

vii. Can an otter hold its breath for a long time?

Otters are mammals like humans, which means they cannot breathe underwater but they all have the ability to hold their breath underwater. Sea otters can hold their breath for more than 5 minutes, and otters can hold their breath for more than 8 minutes. The ears and nose can be closed at the same time in the water.

Even if the fur is extremely dense and keeps warm, the water temperature will drop rapidly when the otter is fishing underwater. Due to the limitations of natural conditions, the otter dared not delay for one second every time it dived into the water. It caught food in the shortest time, and thus became a master of fishing, which can be called the water dragon.

viii. Is the otter a social animal?

Otters are animals that like social activities very much. No matter what size they live in groups, they can be seen playing and playing together, or chasing their tails like puppies, and they are so cute that they foul.

Their social behaviour includes grooming, hunting, and resting together, and they can communicate with nine different vocalizations, usually to warn their companions that a predator is approaching or calling.

x. Does the otter have a unique smell?

Otters have a strong sense of territory, feces are their way of marking their territory, and their defecation points are usually fixed and conspicuous. Otters have scent glands between their toes, and digging holes in soft sand or grass are ideal ways for otters to leave their odors. Otter poop has the strangest smell. It smells pungent like dried bonito, and some scientists describe it as a bit like violet. "Spraint" is a special adjective for this smell.

xi. Where to find the local otter?

The cute otters are regarded as national treasure-level Internet celebrities. There are many otter fans at home and abroad, and they also have many fan pages on social media. On the following Facebook page, the Singaporean otter news and cute pictures will be posted on the Internet to share with other otter fans. Among them, Ottercity is the most popular, with 101,000 Facebook fans currently accumulating.

Ottercity: www.facebook.com/ottercity

OtterWatch: www.facebook.com/OtterWatch

Omni Channel: www.facebook.com/otterscene

Otter Channel: www.facebook.com/OtterKwekChannel

Bernard Photojournals: www.facebook.com/bernardphotojournals

Myottermelon: www.facebook.com/Myottermelon

 

Reminder

When encountering otters, please pay attention to the following:

1. Do not touch the otters, they are wild animals after all, it is best to keep a safe distance of 5 meters

2. Do not yell, chase or use flash to take pictures, they may attack humans because they are frightened

3. Do not feed. They have the ability to find food on their own

4. Do not litter the garbage. Garbage will not only pollute the habitat of the otter, but also cause the death of fish and cause the otter to have no food

5. Please hold the rope when walking the dog in the park to prevent the pet dog from chasing the otter

 

Thanks to Ottercity for providing some information

Ref: https://www.8world.com/lifestyle/city-guide/article/singapore-otters-1487811