Forum: Aim for peaceful coexistence with otters

An otter in Sungei Kallang near Braddell Road, on Jan 19 2020. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

Mr Ong Junkai claims that confining otters to our nature reserves is better for their conservation in the long term (Time to rein in S'pore's otter population, May 18). But habitat loss and the resulting food scarcity is exactly what is forcing animals to venture into urban areas.

Minimising human-wildlife conflict does not mean we establish strict divides between what we deem urban areas and those we deem wild. Rather, peaceful coexistence should be the aim.

This cannot be achieved by getting animals to fear humans. The onus to uphold peaceful coexistence should be on us, seeing as we first encroached upon natural boundaries.

Mr Ong brought up the case of a French girl who was bitten by an otter at Gardens by the Bay in 2017. While it sounds alarming, it was a stress-induced response to human onlookers who were "within touching distance" (Girl, 5, bitten by otter near Satay by the Bay, Dec 31, 2017).

I don't think it is asking too much of people to observe wildlife from afar or to deploy fencing to protect their own pets.

If we cannot do so, how can we blame animals when they simply follow their predatory or defensive instincts?

Dennis Tan Wei Jie

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 22, 2020, with the headline Forum: Aim for peaceful coexistence with otters. Subscribe