It’s an otter massacre! Amazing moment when two rival otter families attack each other and battle in a territorial conflict
This is the moment two of Singapore’s best-known otter families clashed in a bitter territorial feud.
Video from the war shows the two families, the Bishan otters and the Marina otters, screeching with rage as they charged towards each other in the still waters of Singapore’s Kallang Basin.
The two families clash in the water, before the conflict is brought to the muddy banks of the inner-city basin.
As the two families viciously attack each other, the Marina family is seen splitting up and withdrawing from the Bishan family.
The otter families were seen screeching in anger as they charged at each other in the tranquil waters of the Kallang Basin, Singapore.
The two families clash in the water, before the conflict is brought to the muddy banks of the inner-city basin
It was reported that subsequent footage showed the Bishan otters chasing their rivals on land
The Straits Times reported that subsequent footage showed the Bishan otters chasing their rivals on land.
The 2018 footage reportedly showed just a snippet of the hours-long battle for territory between the two otter families, who have clashed for years.
The Bishan family, known locally as the Bishan Ten, originally lived in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, but moved a few kilometers south to Marina Bay in 2015, where they displaced the Marina otter family.
They have fought several times since then, with one fight in 2017 resulting in the death of an otter pup from the Marina family.
Biology lecturer N. Sivasothi, head of the OtterWatch group, which monitors the activities of otters in Singapore, told The Straits Times that it is rare for physical contact to be made during otter fights.
‘Physical contact occurs when one family is much stronger than the other, there is a very strong motivation to drive out another group, or when repeated encounters manifest themselves in extreme action.
Otters are territorial carnivores and must control large areas of territory to feed their families
In 2016, readers of The Straits Times chose the Bishan otters to represent Singapore for the country’s 51st anniversary
The Bishan family, known locally as the Bishan Ten, originally lived in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, but moved a few kilometers south to Marina Bay in 2015
‘In the footage the Marina otters escape without making contact – they must have assessed the odds and aborted.’
Otters are territorial carnivores and must control large swathes of territory to feed their families, Sivasothi said.
‘There are limits to the number of animals in each area, such as food and space. Weaker individuals are killed or driven to poorer habitats that cannot support large families,” he added.
“Attempts at intervention are ultimately futile because environmental boundaries will force these wildlife collisions.”
Despite the feud, the vibrancy of the otter families is a point of pride for Singaporeans as it reflects the success of the city-state’s efforts to improve water quality.
In 2016, readers of The Straits Times chose the Bishan otters to represent Singapore for the country’s 51st birthday, beating ‘Singlish’, the name for the mix of English, Chinese and Malay spoken in Singapore, the Passport of Singapore and the USB flash drive, which was reportedly invented by a Singaporean company.