Guessing that it may have swum into the sluice gate and into the pond behind, a glance proved this to be so as the otter went straight into chasing its breakfast and quickly catching it in the shallows.
It caught a mullet and started crunching into the head. It was a bit cautious as it focused on breakfast and any noise like dry leaves being stepped on caused it to stop and look around.
After finishing the head, it continued with the mullet's tail end. It was definitely a choosy otter and was not starved as it abandoned the torso of the mullet after eating the head and tail. It dive-swam to the corner of the pond before stopping to decide what it would do and then it dived again disappearing in the direction of the sluice gate opening. It did not surface again within sight.
[at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve - small pond beyond Tower Hide 2C, about 10.30am, Sunday 26Jan2014]
Note : there was an earlier report of an injured lone otter at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. Subsequent observations of that individual told that it was actually injured as it ambulated awkwardly avoiding as best it could to apply pressure on its rear left leg.
The otter pictured above could be the same otter but there was no oppurtunity to observe how it moved on land as it was always in the water. The pictured otter however seems to have a visible hairline at the back of its head. As if it had somehow had a haircut. Wonder if this was a result of some sort of snare-like entanglement which removed that little bit of hair from the back of its head.(?)
If you do see an injured otter, please do observe how it moves and let Singapore Otterwatch (via https://www.facebook.com/OtterWatch) or the SBWR staff know how it is coping. The injured otter has been observed to be able to catch fish by itself eating only the head and tail ends whilst abandoning the rest.
These otters seem to like both ends of caught fish and will leave behind the remaining torso of fish.
What kind of otters are they?
Find out more here : http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/mammals/perspicillata.htm
http://www.naturia.per.sg/buloh/verts/smooth_otter.htm
http://blog.nus.edu.sg/sgotters/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smooth-coated_otter
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