An observation of a smooth-coated otter at the Pasir Ris Mangroves at Sungei Tampines, Singapore on 15 March 2015.
Another frequent visitor to the viewing platform commented that there had been a pair of otters seen regularly the days preceding and was anxiously looking around for the other otter. There was only one for that morning and it swam around the shallower parts of the river bank looking for lunch.
It soon made its way towards the end of the canal where it was quite rocky and caught something rather small, perhaps a small fish, which it despatched quickly. It caught its first meal about four and a half minutes after arriving at the spot. Within another couple of minutes it managed to catch a larger fish much to the delight of the observing grey herons which were waiting to grab the chunky leftovers as otters are usually messy eaters.
It took its time to munch through this larger fish spending about ten minutes eating the choice parts. Different otters also seem to like starting at different ends. Some choose the heads and some prefer the tails. Otters frequently start at one end of the fish but seldom proceed all the way to the other end. Significant chunks are usually left behind providing an easy meal for other opportunistic scavengers.
It abandoned the rest of the fish and swam across to the far side of the river swimming underwater and briefly surfacing before it went for a long dive and disappeared into the mangrove waters.
lone otter @ pasir ris - March 2015 from
SgBeachBum on
Vimeo.
Find out more about the smooth-coated otters :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/mammals/perspicillata.htm
