We met up at 7.30am, on 2 April for the otter walk. I was worried that we won’t get to see them as they like to move around a lot and are unpredictable. However, I was in for a surprise! Thanks to the passionate guides that went to look for the otters before the trip, we got to see the Bishan family otters and the otter babies!

We got to see their holts, which they rest or sleep in. Their faeces, which is also known as spraint, is used as scent markers by the alpha male in the family to mark their territory. He would do so by rubbing its tail on the spraint and ‘patrolling’ the territory. It contains their distinct scent, to ward off the other otter families nearby. If other otter families want to expand into another territory, they would cross the boundary and a territorial fight would break out. Those fights would usually end with injured or dead otters. Otters are apex predators in Singapore, so their biggest threat are other otter families and dogs.

The otters that can be found in Singapore are usually Smooth-coated and Asian small-clawed otters. Smooth-coated otters are more common in Singapore, and are usually mistaken for Asian small-clawed otters. The Bishan family otters are Smooth-coated otters. Smooth-coated otters are native to Singapore, but left Singapore when the water become polluted. However, they came back to Singapore and was first spotted at Sungei Buloh wetland reserve, where the water is clean. Otters are a bio-indicator of clean water.

Some otter families are more shy with humans than others, so it’s best to keep a 5 meter distance from them, especially on land, so that they won’t feel threatened. However, the Zouk family are not shy with humans at all, and would even come up close to people.

The Bishan family otter consist of 26 members, with 3 pups. There were originally 4 pups, but 1 died after choking on fish few weeks ago. They are the biggest otter family in Singapore, they would not back down in territorial fights and would always win. Otters are organized into their own family hierarchy, which is the alpha male, mother and babysitter. The current alpha male was not originally part of the family. It was observing the family from a distance, and took the opportunity to become the new alpha male when the former alpha male died. The mother have gave birth to 8 generations of pups. In nature, the otter mother would kill any babies that are not her own. However, when her daughter gave birth to a baby, instead of killing it, the mother took care of it. So touching :”) The mother takes lead to bring the family from one location to the other. She would let out a call and the others would follow her lead. It is rare to see as it is usually the male that would take the lead.

Left: Adult fetching forgotten pup , Right: Scared forgotten pup

They swim and hunt for fishes, usually catfish. Sometimes the older otter would forget to bring the pup for feeding, and will come back to fetch them. I thought that maybe the adults wanted to hunt and eat their portion in peace without the pups disturbing them, then fetch the pup to hunt for them. It would be a very costly and careless mistake in the wild. Or maybe they really are just that forgetful and are accustomed to the safety of Singapore. Some older otters are lazy to catch their fish and like to snatch from other otters. Crows also like to steal their food.

Otters like to be near places with sand or grass. Why? Because when they get out from the water, they would roll on the sand or grass, and when they get back into the water, they can swim faster with ease.

Do you know that otters communicate with each other too? They have different calling sounds for different purposes, like when they hunt for fishes in a group by surrounding the fishes, to express aggression, to greet others, etc. They usually sound high pitched, almost chirpy.

When being close to otters, its important to read their signal and body language. When they are standing on their hindlegs and looking into your direction, it is to signal to the people blocking their way that they want to pass through, and for people to move away. They will make a growling sound if people cant read their signal and give them space to pass through.

Researchers from all over the world come to Singapore to research on otters, as otters are much more easily spotted in Singapore compared to other countries, where they would have to wait in the forest for around a week to be able to spot them. We’re pretty lucky to live in Singapore as we have the opportunity to see otter in urban areas!

While otters are very cute and seem cuddly, its important to respecting wild animals and give them space to feel comfortable (like introverts!) . Even though otters are safe and well liked among Singaporeans, if people do not give them space and get too close to them, they might bite and injure people as they feel threatened. The public would be scared and would not be as open to otters living with us. If the government takes action to remove otters living in urban areas, otter sightings would be rarer. If that day comes, it would be sad that otters do not have freedom to move around and be stuck in tiny spaces in zoos. Taking the initiative to inform loved ones of what we should do to respect otters would help the otters and people to co-exist in peace!

I’m very thankful for the passionate guides for bringing us to this trip, and shared so many interesting knowledge of the otters and wildlife! I was inspired by the guides’ enthusiasm for wildlife and have a deeper appreciation towards wildlife in general. I enjoyed the otter walk very much and would go for such trips again! 🙂