Singapore to move otters out of residential areas as more hunt in private ponds with fish

The efforts come after rising reports of encounters with humans, such as attacking a man, killing and eating pet fish in a private estate and disrupting traffic downtown

Despite such human-otter conflicts, the critters continue to enjoy a strong fan base in Singapore

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Singapore hopes to relocate its otters, by moving them out of residential estates and to areas where they have access to their natural food sources. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:24pm, 17 Oct 2022Updated: 8:31pm, 17 Oct 2022

Singapore hopes to manage its growing otter population by relocating them and possibly sterilising some of the mammals in the long term.

The number of otters has risen to about 170 across the island state, and reports of encounters with humans have also increased, according to broadcaster Channel NewsAsia.

News reports from the past year have shown a number of such incidents, including a video of otters disrupting traffic in Singapore’s business district as well as one of the amphibious carnivores chowing down on fish at a private estate.

Also last year, a man was injured after being attacked by a group of otters at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Otter numbers have risen to some 170 in Singapore, with rising reports of encounters with humans. Photo: AFP

Efforts to relocate the otters will aim to safely transfer them out of residential estates and to areas where they have access to their natural food sources, said Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information and National Development Tan Kiat How in a Facebook post on Monday.