S'pore otters pretend to be dolphins by jumping in & out of fountain at River Valley condo showflat

Looks like fun.

Nigel Chua | May 03, 2022, 03:28 PM

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A group of otters helped themselves to the amenities at The Landmark condominium showflat along Indus Road, in the River Valley area.

No, not the swimming pool or the koi pond, but rather, the fountain at the condo's driveway.

Two of the otters were seen splashing in and out of the shallow water feature, performing three perfectly-synchronised leaps:

GIF from video by Sunshine Yiling on Facebook.

The otters' play session was caught on video by Facebook user Sunshine Yiling, who posted a short clip to the group Singapore Wildlife Sightings.

Unperturbed by attention from humans

Despite humans trying to take photos and videos of them, the group of otters appeared largely unperturbed by the attention.

They were seen swimming and running back and forth, from one end of the fountain to the other.

GIF from video by Sunshine Yiling on Facebook.

Play sessions can last for an hour

Yiling told Mothership that the otters are from the well-known Zouk family.

No stranger to the otter family's antics, she shared that she has seen them playing at the water feature on previous occasions, since last year.

That particular fountain is "like a water playground" for the otters, she said, adding: "Thanks to the secluded location of this fountain, we are able to observe the otters and their playful antics with nothing held back."

She has even managed to do photoshoots with the otters as they frolicked in the fountain:

Photo via @sunshineyiling on Instagram.

Photo via @sunshineyiling on Instagram.

Photo via @sunshineyiling on Instagram.

Photo via @sunshineyiling on Instagram.

These water play sessions can last for "a good one hour," Yiling shared.

Otters known to be playful

The Smooth-coated Otters commonly seen in Singapore are known to be highly social, playful animals.

However, they have also been seen defending their territory and facing off with other otter families.

Members of the public are advised to observe them from a distance, and to avoid approaching, touching, or chasing them.

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Top photos via Sunshine Yiling on Facebook

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