This lone adult otter was spotted cruising up Changi Creek during an evening low tide. It seemed cautious as it swam up the creek occasionally peering around itself. A friend had mentioned that 3 or 4 otters were seen around the creek area about a week or two earlier. The otter dive-swam up the creek and turned into a tributory that led further into the creek. It soon disappeared up the creek.
The creek has obviously seen better times. There is a lot of trash all over the sides of the mangrove. There was also a driftnet which could be seen along the right edge of the water and the otter can be seen swimming past it. The driftnet was marked by two plastic bottles used as floats tied to each end of the net. Lots of other trash such as plastic bags and other items could be seen on the muddy banks and stuck on the mangrove trees lining the creek.
The creek also supports two groups of squatters who have taken refuge in the creek. One group use the space below the roadbridge on the left (if one stood facing the airport) side of the creek whilst the other choose to nestle in the thicket of trees on the right side of the creek. These squatters can be seen hanging their driftnets to dry on the mangrove trees and for maintenance.
Needless to say, these squatters pose a real and serious threat to the safety of the otters. When driftnets are strung across the creek, it is possible that a swimming otter could get entangled in the net and drown. There have been incidents of wading animals getting inadvertently caught in driftnets. See Link 1 (Great-Billed Heron), Link 2 (Crocodile), Link 3 (Horsehoe crabs).
I hope the otter or other animals do not get entangled in the driftnets set up by the squatters.
Find out more about the otters :
http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/mammals/perspicillata.htm
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