• Menu
  • Menu
  • Asia
  • World
  • UAE
  • Opinion
  • Subscribe now
    Digital subscription Print subscription
  • Logout
Digital subscription
Print subscription
Trending
UAE holidays 2021 Golf in UAE Expo 2020 The Kurator Year of the 50th
  • Latest News
  • UAE
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Government
    • Year of the 50th
      • News
      • UAE's Progress
      • Photos
      • Videos
      • People
      • Culture
      • Milestones
      • Future
    • Health
      • Better Health
      • Why Worry
    • Transport
    • Science
    • Weather
    • Reader Complaint
    • Ask the Law
    • Games
    • UAE's Hope Probe
  • Living In UAE
    • Visa+Immigration
    • Housing
    • Phone+Internet
    • Banking
    • Transport
    • Health
    • Education
    • Relocate
    • Ask Us
    • Safety+Security
  • UAE Success Stories
  • Special Reports
  • Business
    • Banking
    • Aviation
    • Property
      • Cityscape
    • Energy
    • Analysis
    • Tourism
    • Markets
    • Retail
    • Company Releases
    • Gulf
  • Your Money
    • Saving and Investment
    • Budget Living
    • Taxation
    • Expert Columns
    • Community Tips
    • Cryptocurrency
  • Food
    • Cooking and Cuisines
    • Guide to Cooking
  • Games
    • Daily Crossword
    • Weekend Crossword
    • Sudoku
    • Word Search
    • Play
  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy & Baby
    • Learning & Play
    • Child Health
    • For Mums & Dads
    • Ask Us
    • Games
  • World
    • Gulf
      • Bahrain
      • Kuwait
      • Oman
      • Qatar
      • Saudi
      • Yemen
      • Games
    • Mena
    • Europe
      • Brexit
    • Africa
    • Americas
      • US Presidential Elections 2020
    • Asia
      • India
      • Pakistan
      • Philippines
    • Oceania
    • Offbeat
    • Court and Crime
    • Coronavirus
    • Infographics
    • Games
  • Photos
    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Readers' Photos
    • Lifestyle
    • Business
    • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Op-Eds
    • Letters
    • Off the Cuff
    • Cartoons
    • From the Editors
  • Sport
    • Tokyo Olympics
    • UAE Sport
    • Horse Racing
      • Dubai World Cup
    • Cricket
      • IPL
        • Chennai
        • Delhi
        • Punjab
        • Kolkata
        • Mumbai
        • Rajasthan
        • Bangalore
        • Hyderabad
        • Schedule
        • Live Scores
        • Point Table
        • Top Scorers
      • ICC
    • Football
    • Motorsport
    • Tennis
      • Dubai Duty Free Tennis 2020
    • Golf in UAE
      • UAE
      • World
      • Photos & Videos
      • Course Reviews
      • Eagle Eye
      • Learn to Play
      • Gear
    • Rugby
  • Entertainment
    • Hollywood
    • Bollywood
    • Pakistani Cinema
    • South Indian
    • Arab Celebs
    • Music
    • TV
    • Books
    • Theatre
    • Arts+Culture
  • Expo 2020
    • News
    • Photos
    • Pavilions
    • Visit the Expo
    • Experience the UAE
    • Entertainment
    • Videos
  • Going Out
  • Auto
    • News
    • Test Drives
    • Car Culture
    • Auto Care
  • Lifestyle
    • Health+Fitness
    • Community
    • Fashion
  • GN Reach
  • Jobs
  • Tech
    • Electronics
    • Gaming
    • Media
  • Videos
    • How-To
    • Best Of Bollywood
    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Business
    • Sport
    • Community
    • Technology
  • Travel
  • GN Focus
  • The Kurator
    • Share
    • Dare
    • Flair
  • Bayat Chapters
  • Gold-Forex
  • Notifications
  • Gold/Forex
  • Prayer Times
  • Cinema Listing
  • Subscribe to Newsletters
  • About Gulf News
  • Contact us
  • Work with us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Gulf News store
  • Advertise with us
  • Reach by GN
  • GN Focus
  • Gulf News epaper
  • Sitemap
  • Have your say
    • © Al Nisr Publishing LLC 2021. All rights reserved.
    Singapore otters' lockdown antics spark backlash
    World

    Asia

    Login / Sign Up
    Logout
    Monday, September 27, 2021
    Gold / Forex

    Asia

    • India
    • Pakistan
    • Philippines
    All Sections

    Singapore otters' lockdown antics spark backlash

    They have been spotted hanging out by a shopping centre, scampering through a hospital

    Published:  May 30, 2020 08:47 AFP and compiled by Karishma Nandkeolyar
    1 of 7
    Otter
    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. With the streets empty, the creatures have been spotted hanging out by a shopping centre, scampering through the lobby of a hospital and even feasting on pricey fish stolen from a pond. Image Credit: AFP
    2 of 7
    Otter
    While many think of tiny Singapore as a densely populated concrete jungle, it is also relatively green for a busy Asian city, and has patches of rainforest, fairly clean waterways and abundant wildlife. 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. Image Credit: AFP
    3 of 7
    Otter
    They featured in a documentary narrated by David Attenborough, are tracked avidly by the local media - and have been spotted more frequently since people were asked to stay home and workplaces closed in April to fight the virus. "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. But their newfound freedoms appear to have emboldened the otters, and they are now facing a backlash. Image Credit: AFP
    4 of 7
    Otter
    The most high-profile incident was a raid on a pond at a spa shuttered due to the pandemic. The creatures gobbled several fish including an arowana, a prized species that can sell for tens of thousands of dollars. Actress-turned-entrepreneur Jazreel Low, who owns the spa, posted pictures on Facebook of fish parts scattered around the pond and lamented a "massacre". "They probably realised that there was nobody there and became more daring," Low told entertainment news website 8 DAYS. Image Credit: AFP
    5 of 7
    Otter
    The case sparked a debate about whether more should be done to stop otters rampaging through the city, with a widely discussed letter in a local newspaper calling for air horns and rubber bullets to be used as deterrents. "Wild boars have never been encouraged to enter urban areas, neither should otters be just because they look cute," wrote Ong Junkai in the correspondence to the Straits Times, which triggered calls from some for a cull. Image Credit: AFP
    6 of 7
    Otter
    In other incidents, a video showed a group charging into the lobby of a children's hospital before being shooed away, and the creatures were also filmed frolicking in the empty streets outside a popular shopping centre. The otters' more frequent forays onto the streets of Singapore are part of a global trend triggered by virus lockdowns, with animals increasingly slipping cover to explore the streets of some of the world's biggest cities. Image Credit: AFP
    7 of 7
    Otter
    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. NUS's Sivasothi criticised calls for a cull as "quite an uneducated response", and said such a move would be ineffective. "I simply don't understand anyone who could not like them. They are really cute," said Pam Wong, a 35-year-old Singaporean. Image Credit: AFP

    Trending

    • Pakistan’s first plastic road project kicks off

      Pakistan’s first plastic road project kicks off

    • From Karachi waste dump to urban forest in two years

      From Karachi waste dump to urban forest in two years

    • Pakistan: Cafes can’t be stopped from serving outdoor

      Pakistan: Cafes can’t be stopped from serving outdoor

    • ‘COVID-19 virus to get weaker, become a cold’

      ‘COVID-19 virus to get weaker, become a cold’

    • Multi-billion dollar project launched in Pakistan

      Multi-billion dollar project launched in Pakistan

    • Saudis automatically extend visit and tourism visas

      Saudis automatically extend visit and tourism visas

    Latest In

    • Dubai keen to host key museum summit in 2025: Maktoum

      20 minutes ago

    • 9 pandemics: How they ended

      27 minutes ago

    • Dubai public sector gets 6 paid days off to visit Expo

      34 minutes ago

    • Sydney COVID lockdown to end sooner for the vaccinated

      48 minutes ago

    • Choppy crypto prices hints at more unstable days ahead

      1 hour ago
    Go back to top
    Network links:
    • Baby & Child
    • Friday
    • Inside Out
    • Watch Time
    • Wheels
    • getthat
    • GN Tech
    • Jobs
    • About Gulf News
    • Contact us
    • Work with us
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Gulf News store
    • Advertise with us
    • Reach by GN
    • GN Focus
    • Gulf News epaper
    • Sitemap
    • Have your say
    Find us on Social
    © Al Nisr Publishing LLC 2021. All rights reserved.
    This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to improve your experience and provide more personalized service to you. Both on your website and other media. To find out more about the cookies and data we use, please check out our Privacy Policy.
    Share on Facebook
    Share on Twitter
    Share on Whatsapp
    Share on Mail
    Share on LinkedIn
    Close
    Gulf News

    Get Breaking News Alerts From Gulf News

    We’ll send you latest news updates through the day. You can manage them any time by clicking on the notification icon.

    Subscribe No Thanks
    Continue reading Gulf News
    Dear Reader, please register to read gulfnews.com

    Dear Reader,

    This section is about Living in UAE and essential information you cannot live without.

    Register to read and get full access to gulfnews.com

    Create your account
    or login if you already have one
    First name is required.
    Last name is required.
    Please enter a valid email address.
    Password should have minimum 7 characters with at least one letter and number
    Passwords do not match

    By clicking below to sign up, you're agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

    Login your account
    New to Gulf News? Sign up now
    Please enter your email address.
    Please enter your password.

    Forgot password

    or