Marina otters welcome 5 new pups in Singapore River after getting kicked out by rival Bishan clan

Photo: OtterWatch / Facebook
Photo: OtterWatch / Facebook

The whole otter business in Singapore may be cute and all, but considering this is the animal kingdom, territorial disputes can get ruthless.

For now at least, the Marina otters — currently a family of 12 — have settled in along the upstream of Singapore River. But according to the OtterWatch Facebook page, it hasn’t been an easy road.

For years, the clan of otters originating from Marina Reservoir have been locked in a battle with the reigning celebrity family of otters in Bishan — a conflict that resulted in fatality, with one otter going missing.

The story of how the Marina family came to be started in late 2013, when a pair of otters made Marina Reservoir their home. By 2015, they became a family of five.

But it was around the same time that the otters residing at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park also grew into a family of five. The Bishan 5 eventually came by Marina Reservoir and took over the territory after fighting off the rival clan, sending the House of Marina scurrying to the tougher environments of East Coast.

Multiple valiant attempts to take back Marina Reservoir failed due to the Bishan 5’s strong resistance, and it was only earlier this year that the Marina 5 managed to sneak by their adversaries to find a new home along Singapore River.

It seems that their new digs in the heart of the city proved to be a great space to start anew — The Straits Times reports that five new pups were born recently. House Marina now consists of seven adults and five baby otters; probably a big enough family to soon take on House Bishan once again.



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