SINGAPORE, Feb 18 — Singapore has completed its third national census of smooth-coated otters, a painstaking effort that volunteers describe as “detective work,” involving hundreds of hours spent tracking the elusive animals to build a clearer picture of their population.
The census, which is currently undergoing scientific review, relies on a network of dedicated otter watchers who help collect data by photographing the animals and noting down their location and family size.
But as volunteer Marjorie Chong explains, it’s not as simple as it sounds, CNA reported.
“A refrain that you hear often is, oh the otters, they are everywhere… but when you actually count them, (they are) not that easy to find,” she said, recounting one census period where she spent about 400 hours over two months searching for them.
Michelle Tan, the NUS student who verified the data for her final-year project, detailed the strict criteria for a valid count. Observers must wait for otters to come onto land to get an accurate number and must have clear photo or video evidence.
She described one successful sighting where she had to use binoculars to spot a family napping under a road, guided only by the “strong smell of spraint” (otter faeces) in the air.
This detailed census work has become increasingly important as Singapore’s otter population, which had disappeared by the 1970s, has made a remarkable comeback, leading to a rise in human-otter interactions.
“Getting an idea of how many, where they are, what kind of spaces they’re using… these are all basic questions which need to be answered when we want to appreciate how to coexist with them in a city,” said N Sivasothi, a senior lecturer at NUS’s Department of Biological Sciences.
In recent years, there have been media reports of otters biting humans or eating expensive fish from private ponds.
Last month, after an otter entered several homes, the National Parks Board (Nparks) confirmed it is exploring population control measures, including translocation and sterilisation.
Sivasothi said such measures would not be taken lightly and require a deep understanding of the animals’ ecology.
He also stressed that education and outreach are key to helping people overcome their fears and that a “city in nature” requires some give and take.
“Be kind and learn more,” he urged, adding, “If we work together, we can work out situations where they have a much more enriched life with nature around them, and give some space for these creatures to exist.”