Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Otters surprise runners at Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon

Source Website: https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/otters-surprise-runners-standard-chartered-singapore-marathon
By Goh Yan Han, The New Paper, 11 December 2018 at 06:00 am


Some participants in the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon had their spirits lifted when they spotted a group of otters frolicking along a section of Gardens by the Bay.
PHOTO: Some participants in the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon had their spirits lifted when they spotted a group of otters frolicking along a section of Gardens by the Bay.
PHOTO: Bernard PhotoJournals
Picture posted by Goh Yan Han, The New Paper on 11 December 2018 at 06:00 am
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https://www.tnp.sg/sites/default/files/styles/rl780/public/articles/2018/12/11/NP_20181211_OTTERCAP11_4474787.jpg
https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/otters-surprise-runners-standard-chartered-singapore-marathon


Ten adult otters and six babies were seen at around 7.25am at a section of the marathon route on Sunday.

Some runners even stopped to whip out their phones and snap photos of the animals.

According to otter enthusiasts, the animals had slept at Gardens by the Bay overnight. The adults woke up at around 6am and headed for breakfast, before returning at 7.25am to collect the babies to forage for food together.

Close to an hour later, the otters moved to another part of Gardens by the Bay and were spotted rolling around on the ground to dry themselves, to the delight of event participants who whipped out their phones to snap photos of the animals.


A group of otters were seen at a section of the marathon route that went through Gardens by the Bay on Dec 9, 2018.
PHOTO: A group of otters were seen at a section of the marathon route that went through Gardens by the Bay on Dec 9, 2018.
PHOTO: Bernard PhotoJournals
Picture posted by Goh Yan Han, The Straits Times on 11 December 2018 at 7:19 pm
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_pictrure_780x520_/public/articles/2018/12/09/yhotter2.jpg
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/otter-alert-at-gardens-by-the-bay-during-standard-chartered-singapore-marathon


Mr Bernard Seah, 49, a wildlife photographer and volunteer with the Otter Working Group, was at Gardens by the Bay with four others to help facilitate the movement of the otters across the busy race route.

The Otter Working Group is made up of representatives from the public and various government and other agencies involved in the welfare of otters.

Mr Seah said that he and other enthusiasts alerted the Otter Working Group on Thursday to contact the race organisers as there was a chance the otters would hang around the Gardens by the Bay section of the marathon route.


Mr Seah said that he and other enthusiasts alerted the Otter Working Group
PHOTO: Mr Seah said that he and other enthusiasts alerted the Otter Working Group on Thursday to contact the race organisers as there was a chance the otters would hang around the Gardens by the Bay section of the marathon route.
Picture posted by Alexander Bortin on 29 April 2015
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https://plus.google.com/photos/112113151610776979022/album/6143186817448380241/6143186817754855474


"If the runners are doing their thing and the otters try to cross their path, the otters might be afraid and not know why the humans are running towards them," said Mr Seah.

"The adult otters might be protective of their babies, and there might have been a possibility of human-otter conflict."

The Otter Working Group got in touch with the marathon organisers on Friday and the two parties discussed over the weekend scenarios that could unfold if the otters came close to the marathon route or stayed overnight by the route.


The otters showed up at Gardens by the Bay at about 7.30am
PHOTO: The otters showed up at Gardens by the Bay at about 7.30am, as the sun had just risen and joined in the lung burner of an event, crossing paths with real competitive runners and weekend warriors in this oxygen-sucking competition.
Picture posted by Belmont Lay, Mothership on 09 December 2018 at 06:06 pm - Otter family of 12 runs entire width of Standard Chartered S’pore Marathon 2018
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https://mothership.sg/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/otters-standard-chartered-marathon-singapore-2018.jpg
https://mothership.sg/2018/12/otters-standard-chartered-marathon/


Mr Seah said race officials told him that they would inform and advise their volunteers along the route to keep a lookout for otters and guide them away from harm if necessary. They would also do an initial sweep of the area before the run to ensure there were no issues.

A day before the race, "our worst fears came true as (the otters) were actually sleeping just a few metres from the race route", said Mr Seah.


Our worst fears came true
PHOTO: "Our worst fears came true" -  Human-otter conflict
Special Marathon 2018 from "Weekend warriors too".
Picture posted by Mothership on 10 December 2018 - Otters with their 5m finisher tshirts after Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2018 be like:
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https://www.facebook.com/MothershipSG/photos/a.624191580953831/2192844797421827/?type=3&theater


On Sunday, a group of five people - two from the Otter Working Group and three volunteers from the otter-watching community - went to the marathon route in Gardens by the Bay to help inform event participants about the otters' presence in the area, as well as to step in if necessary.

Due to their efforts, no human-otter clashes were reported and the otters were able to make their way about Gardens by the Bay while capturing hearts.


God blessing descend upon all.
PHOTO: God blessing descend upon all.
No human-otter clashes were reported and the otters were able to make their way about Gardens by the Bay while capturing hearts. If only human-human are behaving like this for eternity.
Picture posted by soFeminine UK
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVB-ngf8uvMDzQPSDTHmi7TxW3mrhtiAn3a3GFm7HCUlIco1deeyDKhyphenhyphenCE2xJlHXAjmYAAggCvSosXiYUCXqtTUkzXwWshWf14GWtNg2SGKrNOmFNk73RtG-ZLlSFyQpjO_ZCH0MekxKM/s1600/e0311aa47adf8fd7a090e9e0a43f1472.jpg
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By Goh Yan Han, The New Paper, 11 December 2018 at 06:00 am
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Reference
[1] Goh Yan Han, The New Paper, Otters surprise runners at Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, posted on 11 December 2018 at 06:00 am, https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/otters-surprise-runners-standard-chartered-singapore-marathon


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