RIP Zouk mum: Matriarch of otter family found dead in Potong Pasir canal after going missing

The matriarch of one of Singapore’s most famed otter families was found dead in a canal in Potong Pasir. The smooth-coated otter was around eight years old.

She went missing from her family a few days ago, said otter interest group Ottercity in a Facebook post on June 28. Otters are known to be social creatures, and often travel in pairs or in a family.

Her carcass was discovered by otter watchers on the morning of June 28 at the edge of the canal. Her family was spotted downstream not far away, said the group, which has 223,000 followers.

The Facebook post by Ottercity has garnered more than 1,000 reactions, with dozens of netizens expressing their sadness at the news.

The group estimates her age to be around eight, and added that she was the daughter of otters from the Bishan family. Smooth-coated otters have an average lifespan of about 10 years.

They are one of two species found in Singapore. They are larger than the small-clawed otters, which have been spotted in mangroves in western Singapore and on Pulau Ubin. In August 2023, The Straits Times reported that there were about 170 smooth-coated otters here.

After “her dispersal from family” many years ago, she found herself “a soulmate” and they started a family along the Singapore River, near the old Zouk premises in Jiak Kim Street, said Ottercity in its post.

It added that she had kept her family intact and avoided confrontations with other otter families by navigating Singapore’s canal systems to places such as Bishan Park, the Botanic Gardens and Singapore River.

The National Parks Board has retrieved her carcass, said the group, adding that it would be sent for a pathology analysis.

The group told ST that the Zouk family is one of the largest families in central Singapore, and currently comprises around 17 otters.

“We are monitoring (them), but we think they might have split up,” said the group. “This is what we observe whenever the mum of a family passes on.”

The Zouk family is known to be among the most human-tolerant otters, according to enthusiasts ST spoke to in 2022.

The family received global recognition in 2024 after they were featured in BBC Earth documentary series Mammals. British producer Lydia Baines trailed the furry creatures for nearly a month, and described the family as “strongly bonded”.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.