Otter versus Koi: The battle that has gripped Canada
VANCOUVER: An epic battle has been playing out in a classical Chinese garden in Canada’s Pacific coast city of Vancouver between a ravenous wild otter and prized ornamental carp, cheered on by locals who have declared themselves for ‘Team Otter’ versus ‘ Team Koi.’
Suspense built over several weeks as the mischievous otter continued to evade capture — even after a wildlife expert was brought in, and the pond was drained — while feasting on 11 of the garden’s 14 adult koi.
As of Thursday, three of the surviving adult koi and more than 300 juveniles had been evacuated from Sun Yat- Sen Park and Classical Garden in the city’s historic Chinatown neighborhood to the Vancouver Aquarium.
The fish relocation was ordered as a last- ditch measure to save the koi, in a saga that began midNovember when visitors spotted the otter scrambling over rocks around the pond.
Gutted koi carcasses would later be found littered around the garden.
“We’re very happy that we were able to get the (remaining) koi out,” the garden’s spokeswoman Deanna Chan told AFP.
After staff struggled to catch the fish by wading into the pond, the park authorities lowered the water level and rescued them with a net.
Vancouver Parks Board director Howard Normann told a press conference the koi would likely be returned to the pond in the spring of 2019.
Meanwhile, the entrance to the garden was to be reinforced with grates and plates “to prevent the otter or any of the otter’s friends from revisiting the garden,” he said. Surveillance cameras would also be installed.
The koi had distinct personalities and coloration, said Chan, who noted that an orange 50-yearold named Madonna could be recognized by two black dots on her forehead and a crooked spine.
“They mean a lot to people in the community who have been seeing the fish grow up. They mean a lot to staff in the garden. The koi are part of our team.” — AFP