In December 2017, a five-year-old girl on holiday in Singapore with her family was bitten by an otter near Gardens by the Bay. The two common species of otters in Singapore are the smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) and the small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus). Though Singapore's landscape has rapidly urbanised over the past 50 years, the highly adaptable smooth-coated otter continues to exist and perhaps even thrive here, as sightings of it have increased over the last decade 12. There are two species of otters currently present here. Still, otter experts believe the anger is an overreaction and that the creatures are likely just enjoying the extra freedom to venture to new places. Four species of otters have been recorded from Malaysia and Singapore in the past: Lutra lutra (Common or Eurasian Otter), Lutra sumatrana (Hairy-nosed Otter), Lutrogale perspicillata (Smooth Otter) and Amblonyx cinereus (Oriental Small-clawed Otter). Actress-turned-entrepreneur Jazreel Low, who owns the spa, posted pictures on Facebook of fish parts scattered around the pond and lamented a "massacre". There are two species of otters here - … Subscribe to our monthly newsletter for a concise roundup of our stories. The otter population in Singapore was initially thought extinct between the 1960s and 1970s, but sightings in the 1990s confirmed their presence in the Sungei Buloh wetlands area. In July 2016, the 13th International Otter Symposium was held in Singapore for the first time. Khoo, M de Yuan and Sivasothi, N (2018)b. Two otter species occur in Singapore. Singapore . October 19, 2020, 05:57 PM JJ Lin hosting YouTube live with celebrity friends on … The creatures gobbled several fish including an arowana, a prized species that can sell for tens of thousands of dollars. Download the full report . There are estimated to be about 90 otters in Singapore, making up 10 families, and appearances at popular tourist sites around the city-state´s downtown waterfront have transformed them into local celebrities. The rise of citizen science has also created an even wider pool of data on otter observations and documentation of species behaviour, with groups like the Otter Working Group actively helping in the management and rescue of otters. “Asian Countries Propose Bans on Commercial Trade in Otters.” NRDC. Yet in Singapore, the most urbanized country in the world, commuters … Accessed February 25, 2019. For otters to continue thriving, they require adequate space to feed in, reproduce, dry their fur, and rest. on the population movement of otters, brought this to light. Singapore has 2 species of otters, the Smooth-coated Otter and the very elusive Asian Small-clawed Otter. These sightings are of much delight to conservationists, as the presence of otters usually signals the health of the waters they are seen in. Otters eat about 15 to 25 percent of their body weight each day. This file photo shows members of a wild otter family called "Bishan10" in Singapore's Kallang Basin area. 35 (3): 171 – 182). One of the few wildlife species well-adapted to urban environments, otters are popular enough in the Garden City to be featured in David Attenborough’s Wild City documentary about Singapore in 2015, as well as in BBC Earth’s Wild Cities in 2019. Population Structure, Distribution, and Habitat Use of Smooth-Coated Otters Lutrogale perspicillata in Singapore . Singapore has two species of otters. For National University of Singapore biologist Sivasothi N, the arrival of the Singapore otter—and its popularity among residents—is a welcome development. Accessed January 14, 2019. “Observations of the Variation in Group Structure of Two Urban Smooth-Coated Otter Lutrogale Perspicillata Groups in the Central Watershed of Singapore.” ResearchGate. Smooth-coated ones grow up to 1.2m long and 11kg in weight. Announcement 1 of 4: Night Safari is open every day from 19 Nov 2020 to 17 Jan 2021, as well as eve of and on public holidays. Population Structure, Distribution, and Habitat Use of Smooth-Coated Otters Lutrogale perspicillata in Singapore . They include the larger and more common smooth-coated otter Lutrogale perspicillataand this species which is cat-sized when fully grown. People are excited to see them especially in the urban jungle where sightings of wild animals are rare. "When there´s restriction of movement, there´s less vehicles and there´s less people, so the urban space opens up," said N. Sivasothi, a biologist at the National University of Singapore known as "Otterman" due to his work on the animals. https://www.nrdc.org/experts/paul-todd/asian-countries-propose-bans-commercial-trade-otters. Most have not been sighted in typical otter habitats—often the wilder plots of nature in the country. The NRDC has since been partnering with organisations around the world to put together a strong case for the ban. Singapore has seen over 50 years of major road projects, from the PIE to the North-South Corridor. According to Sivasothi, otters are social species, and they almost always travel together in families. There are laws against the trapping and killing of otters in Singapore. In-depth stories about Asia and more delivered straight to your inbox every month. “Phylogeography of the Smooth-Coated Otter (Lutrogale Perspicillata): Distinct Evolutionary Lineages and Hybridization with the Asian Small-Clawed Otter (Aonyx Cinereus).” Scientific Reports 7 (January 27, 2017): 1–13. In Malay folklore, the mousedeer is witty enough to outsmart larger, more dangerous animals: In Malay folklore, the mousedeer is witty enough to outsmart larger, more dangerous animals: Want to know the remaining 5 most threatened species in Singapore? ). Did you know that wild otters are often sighted in Singapore? By 2014, the otter population had expanded to the west and south coasts of Singapore, and the current population had begun breeding by 2015. Moretti, Beatrice, Omar F Al-Sheikhly, Monica Guerrini, Meryl Theng, Brij K Gupta, Mukhtar K Haba, Waseem Khan, Aleem Khan, and Filippo Barbanera. Academics like assistant professor Philip Johns of Yale–NUS College’s Life Sciences Department are also looking to encourage citizen science by building a mobile app that allows anyone to easily upload high quality videos of the otters from their mobile phones. Cambridge International releases AS and A level results for Nov 2020 exams, Landslides kill at least 12 people in Indonesia, Pakistan women’s cricket squad clears COVID-19 tests before leaving for South Africa, Bioniks chief urges President Alvi to help subsidise prosthetic limbs for the underprivileged. India, Bangladesh, and the Philippines have submitted proposals for a ban on the international trade of Asian small-clawed otters and smooth-coated otters. (Oriental Small-clawed Otter). Their diet consists of fish, frogs, crabs, turtles etc. Though education alone is not enough to change behaviours around our wildlife, several impassioned otter watchers have been volunteering their services to help new otter watchers stay mindful of their subjects—a heartening gesture. SINGAPORE: Singapore's otters, long adored by the city-state's nature lovers, are popping up in unexpected places during the coronavirus lockdown but their antics have angered some and even sparked calls for a cull. 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