Otter Fun

The meeting time is 7.30am!! I can’t believe I ‘m getting up so early just for a nature walk. This was the initial thought I had in the morning before going on the otter walk. However I have no regrets getting up early to see this breathtaking view at the park. It was the fresh air that I much needed.

I was really excited to get to see some otters today and to learn more about them, hence I signed up for this walk. However, we were hit with a piece of not-so-great news. The otters left for the other side of the river earlier this morning. It was a little disappointing to know but I knew that this is still a great learning opportunity. First activity this morning was to take a look at their habitat. We got to see their holt and learnt the process of marking their territory, which is when the alpha male spraints (release faeces) and it spreads its scent by a swishing tail motion. Who knew? We also got to know more about this family of otters. Interesting fact: They are smooth-coated otters! I thought that they were Asian small-clawed otters. I also learnt a little more about their life cycle and some threats they may face.

In order to see the otters, we had to take a long (but scenic!) route to the other side of the river. It was extremely worth it when we got to catch the otters in action and observe their behaviour. Their water activities include swimming and foraging for food. Land activities were rolling in grass or sand, to maintain their slick body type for faster swimming. If you are quiet and observant, you may hear the calls of the adult otters and their pups. Different calls could be trying to snatch a fish, expressing displeasure or to call out for one another. One good example of a call was when the pup was accidentally left behind and the mother called out for the pup (like a bird chirping sound) and managed to find the pup which was a heartening moment. We also got to see the catching of a fish through herding (corner fish to a shallow area to catch) and the fight for a fish (not aggressive, just snatching). In my opinion, I think that otters are just aggressive and protective because they want to protect what they have.

Otters having fun in the sun!!

The role of the otters in nature is so important. They help clear invasive species like catfish released by humans and serve as a bio-indicator of clean water. To us, they have became mascots and a feel-good trigger. As nature lovers, we can do our part to help the otters co-exist with us. Some things we can do is to give them some space in nature, and help stop incoming human traffic to allow otters to cross. We should also leash up pets and not put cameras right near them. On our end, we can fence up fish ponds to prevent otters from eating those fishes. I think that we can co-exist if everyone plays their part.

This was a fruitful trip and I have learnt so much! I would like to thank the guides who made it all possible and for sharing information about otters. I can’t wait for the next trip and thanks for reading 🙂

Last picture of pup and adult otter!