Whose Side Are You On? How You Feel About the Koi-Devouring Otter Saga Could Reveal Your True Self
A wild river otter‘s quest to satiate his hunger has resulted in a weeks-long saga surrounding the pricey loss of Koi fish to a Vancouver garden.
The intrepid otter, who was first spotted in the garden mid-November, has killed and eaten at least 10 of the precious Koi fish at tje Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Vancouver’s Chinatown. The otter’s voracious appetite and decidedly expensive taste in fish (according to CTV News, the Koi are valued at between $1,000 – $5,000) has prompted the garden to close the grounds in order to evacuate the four remaining Koi fish and catch the otter.
As of Monday, only one of the valuable Koi fish had been caught and transferred to the Vancouver Aquarium for safekeeping. The staff is currently working to lower the water level in the pond since high water levels and murkiness have made it difficult for them to catch the remaining fish. Humane traps have been set for the otter who, once caught, will be relocated to the Fraser Valley.
The garden is closed until further notice, as the search for the otter and the remaining Koi fish continues, but those who wish to follow the story as it develops, can follow along on Twitter, on the Garden’s official account and using the hashtag, #Otterwatch2018.
Since Saturday, a river otter has been spotted in the Garden’s pond, where it has eaten at least 5 of our adult koi. @ParkBoard is working to relocate the otter, and an investigation is under way to determine how it got here: https://t.co/xK9zwUQu8w
???? Sadie Brown pic.twitter.com/ngS08ng96t— Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden (@vangarden) November 20, 2018
Keeping our fingers crossed that the river otter can be relocated to a more natural habitat as soon as possible – @ParkBoard set up a trap today and we are consulting with @vanaqua on possible koi safety options. pic.twitter.com/b0NlT2NWxB
— Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden (@vangarden) November 21, 2018
The Garden is closed today to facilitate containment of the river otter. We thank you for your understanding.
— Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden (@vangarden) November 23, 2018
The Garden will remain closed tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 24. We thank you for your support and understanding while we continue to work through this unexpected situation. #ChinatownYVR pic.twitter.com/645rgK5Wku
— Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden (@vangarden) November 24, 2018
As we continue to work with @ParkBoard to contain the otter, Garden staff spent Saturday trying to rescue the remaining koi in our pond. After several hours, we were able to get one koi to @vanaqua for safekeeping. We will provide an update tomorrow. #Otterwatch2018 #ChinatownYVR pic.twitter.com/mjnvUmji4k
— Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden (@vangarden) November 25, 2018
Our efforts to rescue more koi continue & @ParkBoard is lowering the water level in the pond today to facilitate. The Garden remains closed until further notice. We will provide more updates as the situation progresses. #Otterwatch2018 #ChinatownYVR pic.twitter.com/cvPnDnnsIu
— Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden (@vangarden) November 27, 2018
We are very grateful for all the support we have been receiving. Once we can ensure the safety of the animals, we will start a campaign to replenish our pond. Until then, we accept donations through Canada Helps as a charitable organization: https://t.co/swIdk9hfyI pic.twitter.com/HyRuMjNJbU
— Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden (@vangarden) November 27, 2018