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Managing the return of a charismatic species in an urban environment

Year of publication 2024

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 13 p.

Author FAO; IUCN SSC HWCCSG;

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Brochure, flyer, fact-sheet

Synopsis (short abstract) The case study comes from Singapore, a city-state in southeast Asia that has undergone large-scale urbanisation. in 2022, it ranked as the world’s third most densely populated country. Remarkably, in the late 1990s, the smooth-coated otter lutrogale perspicillata, absent for three decades due to extensive habitat loss, made a resurgence by taking up residence in Singapore. Since then, otters have been spotted across the island, making use of the coastlines and waterways. they have even been found in the highly-urban city centre. Although typically being considered a shy species, they are largely indifferent to the presence of people. However, the presence of otters in the urban areas has presented various challenges, such as: increased encounters between city-dwellers and the otters, otters feeding in private fishponds, and competition between fish armers and otters. In response to these circumstances, the Otter Working Group was formed in 2013 and formalized in 2016, comprising government agencies, institutions, NGOs, and members of the public. The primary objective of this group is to monitor otter-related issues and address them through a multidisciplinary approach. This case study aims to detail the establishment and activities of the Otter Working Group.

Cite this content as:

FAO and IUCN SSC HWCCSG. 2024. Managing the return of a charismatic species in an urban environment. Rome.


https://doi.org/10.4060/cc9811en

Language English

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