A river otter on the loose in Vancouver's Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is still playing coy and slaying koi.
The elusive creature has been feasting on the prized koi fish in the garden's pond for several days and has continuously evaded attempts at capture. Park staff have said they are "devastated" by the loss of the beautiful fish.
Overnight Wednesday, it apparently sneaked into one of the traps set up by the Vancouver Park Board, ate the meat used as bait and then slipped away. On Thursday morning, another half-eaten decorative carp was discovered, bringing the body count to approximately seven. Staff quickly disposed of the evidence Thursday morning while curious onlookers gathered outside the park gate to sneak a peek at the hairy otter.
The park remains closed to visitors and the media, but passersby said they were fascinated by the exploits of the cagey carnivore.
The otter continues to take the bait and now they are bringing in a wildlife expert to trap the otter and relocate him to the Fraser Valley so he won't return. There are a lot of salmon right now in the Harrison River and that's the most likely place he'll go.
There is worldwide interest in this story. It has been picked up by BBC. However, in Vancouver there are two groups:
Team Otter or Team Koi
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| Captured in Chinatown on security footage |
