A family of familiar critters has made an appearance as an Easter egg on the Google Singapore front page on Aug. 7.

A felt depiction of the Bishan otter family against a backdrop of Marina Bay Sands pops up as a Google Doodle on the Search homepage.

The Google logo has also been redesigned to be formed out of what appears to be bougainvillea.

Google Doodles are temporary changes to the Google logo intended to celebrate "familiar holidays", but nowadays also "highlight a wide array of events and anniversaries".

Clicking into today's image reveals more information about the Bishan otters, a group that was first sighted at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park in 2014, hence their name.

At the time, the critically endangered species was a rare sighting in Singapore.

Incidentally, Singapore is the top country in the world searching on Google for otters in the past year, followed by Canada, the U.S., Romania and the UK.

According to Google, "these cute creatures aren't just a testament to the country's environmental conservation—now, they're a symbol of Singapore itself".

Xiuxian Ho, Google Singapore's communications manager said:

"Today’s Google Doodle celebrates the smooth-coated otters who have become a popular sight and a mainstay in Singapore’s ecosystem. These furry creatures are a representation of the nation’s diverse biodiversity, and our efforts in creating an environment where humans and wildlife are able to coexist harmoniously. Above all, it is also a reminder of the need to prioritise protection and conservation of Singapore’s natural heritage as we push forth as a City in Nature."

Otters have become such an icon in Singapore that they have even appeared as an animated feature in the locally-developed TraceTogether app.

A smiling otter swimming leisurely across the teal-coloured SafeEntry check-in pass on the screen of the TraceTogether app meant that the person was eligible to enter a venue.

The moving otter helped to differentiate a real check-in from a screen shot that would otherwise show a static screen.

Handcrafted otters

The design of the doodle went through several drafts, with one bearing a resemblance to an album cover by The Beatles.

In fact, to create the doodle, the otter family was actually handcrafted in real life via needle felting.

Here's what the process looked like.

The Google Doodler behind this, Helene Leroux, was also the creator of the 2017 Valentine's Day Doodle featuring a pink pangolin.

The Bishan otter family Google Doodle, like all other doodles, will only last for a day.

Top photo screenshot from Google