Otter family found swimming & eating fish at Pasir Ris condo, relocated by NParks

*UPDATE on Jan. 5, 11:00am: The article has been updated with NParks' statement.

Otters have reportedly been causing disturbances at some condominiums along Pasir Ris Grove, with sightings of them swimming in pools and feeding on the fish in residential ponds.

These condos include Coco Palms, NV Residences, The Palette and Livia.

Citing National Parks Board (NParks), Shin Min Daily News reported that a family of otters had nested at one of the condos and given birth to pups, sparking concerns among residents.

Following reports, NParks officers were deployed to patrol the area and assess the situation.

The otters were subsequently removed from the residential compound on Dec. 29.

Otters sighted in the condo

According to a Mothership reader, who lives in Coco Palms, the condo's management had issued a notice on Dec. 22, 2025, alerting residents to the presence of otters within the compound.

The notice read:

"Please be informed that otters have recently been sighted within our residential compound. NParks is aware of the situation and is actively monitoring the otters' movements in the Eco pond area."

It added that NParks had deployed a team to conduct daily otter patrols to guide the animals away from residents should they be spotted within the condo.

Another resident, speaking to Shin Min, said she observed authorities patrolling the area and cordoning off a part of the condominium on Dec. 24, 2025.

"They were carrying flashlights and sticks, occasionally shining the lights or tapping the ground to deter the otters," she said, adding that residents were advised to keep their distance.

In a video shared on Xiaohongshu on the same day, an otter was also spotted swimming through the condo pool late at night, appearing completely at home.

Trap placed

The same resident also told Shin Min that she noticed a large cage with plates inside placed on the ground floor on the morning of Dec. 29, 2025, which she believed was used to trap the otters.

When she passed by the area again the following morning, the cage had been removed.

Otters have been relocated

The Mothership reader shared that another notice was issued on Dec. 29, 2025, informing residents that the otters spotted within the compound had been safely relocated by NParks.

In its advisory, NParks urges anyone who encounters otters to:

• Observe them from a distance, especially if there are young pups
• Refrain from making loud noises or using flash photography
• Not feed them
• Not litter or leave sharp objects in the water
• Keep their pets on a tight leash

Moreover, in a written parliamentary reply in April 2025, the Ministry of National Development said that NParks works closely with community partners, including the Otter Working Group, to manage human-otter conflicts.

Measures include cordoning off areas where adult otters may display protective behaviour, using olfactory irritants to guide them away from residential zones, and relocating otters from areas of intensified human-otter conflict.

NParks' response

In response to Mothership's queries, NParks confirmed that it was alerted to a family of otters that had established a holt within Coco Palms, prompting the agency to conduct guarding and survey patrols.

However, as the otters persisted in the area and were found to have pups, NParks conducted an operation on Dec. 20 to relocate the otters.

The otters were safely secured and released to a more suitable habitat with access to their natural food sources.

Top photos via @junoyongmengchyun/Instagram and Mothership reader