Otters by the river

 

Each time I cycle to work these days, I look out for the otters.

Otter sightings on my commute used to be a rarity. I'd hear their squeaky-toy cries first, and then perhaps one sleek brown head breaking through the water, then another, and another. 

This year, around Jiak Kim bridge, I noticed a few signboards being put up, and the banks of the river closed off by orange barricades. The signs said that the area was closed off for an otter nursing ground. I didn't see any otter activity there for a couple of months, but I smelled rotting fish which suggested they'd been in the area. 

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I saw a family sprawled on a concrete boat mooring. They were sunning themselves and snoozing. A small crowd of people had gathered nearby. Some were peering through binoculars to have a closer look. I stopped my bicycle and watched, and saw to my delight a pup push it's head out from behind it's mother. Then another, and soon after it, a third! Three squirmy pups.

Last week I saw one pup peeking out from under the bridge, near a large and very stinky dead fish.

Today I saw them swimming, adult and pups together.

Every time feels like a miracle.