Otters wipe out $20k worth of koi in Bukit Timah, leave owner too traumatised to keep rearing fish

When Tham Yuen Ying woke up on Sunday (Oct 2) morning, she was stunned by the sight of the half-eaten carcasses of her beloved koi. 

The fish fell prey to otters, the 36-year-old woman told AsiaOne.

For over 20 years, she had reared the fish with her father in the two ponds built in their Bukit Timah home. Some of the koi that died in the attack were over 15 years old. 

Now, these ponds are empty thanks to otters that trespassed their property. 

"I had this hobby for close to 30 years. In one night, it [my hobby] is destroyed," Tham said. 

$20,000 down the drain 

After checking CCTV footage, Tham and her father suspected that the otters had sneaked in from the back of the house as the camera installed at the entrance did not capture any activity. 

The intruders then decimated the family's prized pets. 

According to her, the 22 koi in the ponds were worth a total of $20,000, and the most expensive koi cost $3,000. 

Only three fish survived the otter attack, but it left them with severe injuries.

By Monday morning, two of them died and the last one is fighting for its life.

The koi weren't the only fish in the pond that the otters feasted on — Tham's algae eaters were "left without heads" around the pond.

Are otters getting out of control? 

The incident shocked Tham's family because they had no issues with otters in over two decades of living at Bukit Timah. Their fish thrived, she said. 

As their home sat on top of a small hill, they did not expect the otters to be able to reach them. 

"Seems to me that the population is getting out of control," shared Tham. 

Others also lost their beloved fish to predators in recent months.

A koi supplier told Tham that three of his customers experienced similar attacks in different areas of Singapore over the past two months.

Hungry otters aren't just after koi, it appears.

In June, the animals bit off the heads of over 50 Ryukin goldfish in a Yio Chu Kang home. The fish were worth over $5,000, the owner told Shin Min Daily News.

His bulldog's barking thwarted an otter attack in February, he shared, but the predators returned and ate his fish after the dog's death.

"I don't know how to get compensation for this, I'm not sure if the authorities will do anything to resolve the issue," he said.

No security, no fish 

For now, Tham's family won't be rearing any fish unless they are "sure the place is safe". 

"Once the otters have come, they are likely to return," she told AsiaOne.

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Securing their home, however, will be a challenge as it will require extensive renovations to their house as well as fencing up their large pond.

Reeling from the ordeal, Tham said, "I am too traumatised to keep any more fish", and added that she felt that Singapore is no longer safe and conducive for koi hobbyists like himself. 

While Tham voiced concern about the number of otters here, wildlife experts recently told The Straits Times that overpopulation is not a cause for concern.

This is despite the number of smooth-coated otters doubling to around 150 over the past five years.

Competition for territory among the aquatic mammals native to Singapore "naturally limits their numbers," they explained.

"As otters are highly territorial, competition for space and pup mortality will further limit how much the populations can grow," said Adrian Loo, National Parks Board's group director of wildlife management. 

melissateo@asiaone.com