Former actress Jazreel Low 'heartbroken' after otters ate her arowana and expensive fishes

When the humans are away, the otters come out to play?

On Tuesday (May 12), a group of otters 'trespassed' on the grounds of Aramsa The Garden Spa located in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, and feasted on the fishes in the pond. Their actions were caught on camera by the owner, local former actress Jazreel Low.

The 54-year-old second runner-up of Star Search 1988 made two Facebook posts about the incident. The first had photos of the otters scurrying away, and also of the pond with a half-eaten fish on the ground.

The second post was in memory of her prized fish, a 13-year-old arowana nicknamed Ah Huat. For the uninitiated, this breed of fish is said to be in a class of their own and can fetch up to US$300,000 (S$426,450).

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/jazreel.low/posts/10158772959193949[/embed]

Apart from the arowana, other casualties included koi and cichlids. The catfish and guppies survived the feeding, Jazreel revealed in the comments.

In response to the 'attack', netizens expressed their sympathy for Jazreel, with local comedian Hossan Leong and actress Florence Tan leaving comments.

In the exchange with Hossan, Jazreel said that Ah Huat survived "floods and draughts" but not this "massacre".

Amid the outpouring of well-wishes and sympathy, a handful of netizens also seemed to be furious at the otters, calling them pests and saying they will support their culling if action needs to be taken.

However, there are also netizens who advocated for the otters and suggested contacting Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) or other wildlife organisations for humane solutions.

In the meantime, Jazreel said she'll look into putting up barriers and will check with NParks on what kind can be used.

No silver bullet

Otters feasting on pet fishes have been a tricky issue, especially after some chowed down on prized koi in Sentosa in 2015, and recently in a Newton condo, and at the Botanic Gardens. Most recently, a family of otters were spotted on a day trip to KK Hospital and also to Mustafa Centre.

While there may not be a silver bullet, wildlife advocates are urging members of the public to learn to co-exist with these creatures.

ACRES previously told The Pride: "We have diverse wild animals in our garden city and otters obviously cannot differentiate between expensive or pet fish to prey on.

"When we live so closely beside wildlife habitats, it is important to learn about co-existence and how conflicts can be addressed without taking a reactive approach of simply removing unwanted animals."

Should you encounter them, though, NParks has a few tips on what to do.

- Do not touch, chase, or corner the otters. Observe them from a distance as getting too close to the otters may frighten them.

- Do not feed the animals because they have natural eating habits and food in their own environment.

- Do not talk loudly or use flash when taking photos, as these actions may startle them.

bryanlim@asiaone.com