Angler filmed throwing stones at otters in Punggol Waterfront

Ng Huiwen Straits Times 25 Feb 18;

SINGAPORE - An angler was filmed throwing stones at a family of otters next to the Marina Country Club in Punggol Waterfront on Saturday evening (Feb 24).

A housewife, who wanted to be known only as Ms Chong, told The Straits Times on Sunday that she was in the area at about 6.30pm when she spotted the family of eight otters swimming away.

Ms Chong was filming the sight when she noticed that a man had started throwing stones at one of the pups.

"Obviously, I was shocked. He did it not once, but twice, at two of the pups," said Ms Chong, who declined to give her age.

A video of the incident was shared on the OtterWatch Facebook page on Saturday night.

Mr Jeffrey Teo, who is a member of the OtterWatch community, told The Straits Times that this particular family of otters have been spotted frequently in the Punggol stretch since about two months ago.

They comprise of parents, a sub-adult and five pups.

He said that a few otter watchers have since alerted the authorities to the incident.


Ms Chong, who was alone, said that there was a fence separating her and the man, who was part of a group of six male anglers.

While there were other groups of anglers in the area at the time, none of them did anything to stop the man, she added.

To ensure that the otters were unhurt, she stood at the location for a few minutes to monitor them.

"I was glad to see the pups were okay and that they were all accounted for," she said, adding that she hopes the video would help to raise the public's awareness of wild animals in Singapore.

"I hope that people will be more tolerant of wild animals and share some of their space with them. The otters were there for only about five minutes and they went away. There's no need to be cruel," she added.

A spokesman for the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said it is investigating the incident. Members of the public who have information on the case or witnessed the incident can contact AVA at 1800-476-1600.