‘Responsible photographers keep their distance,’ Netizen says of man who got up close and personal with otters at Lower Pierce

SINGAPORE: A member of the Singapore Wildlife Sightings group on Facebook expressed concerns after seeing a photographer get very close to the otters at Lower Pierce Reservoir, even if his camera had a telephoto lens.

While otters are, at least in theory, cute and cuddly creatures, wild animals are wild animals, and there is no guarantee that just because you catch them at a peaceful moment that they’ll stay that way.

In his post, Facebook user GentleDeer4602 wrote that this had occurred a few months ago and that the photographer was “occasionally making some sounds to elicit a reaction from” the otters.

“Personally, my sense was that it was too close and disruptive, but I wasn’t sure if my thinking was unreasonable, so I didn’t say anything. My question is…What should be the correct etiquette, and would you consider this within the boundaries of acceptable?”

“Nature photography itself isn’t the problem; many photographers care deeply about wildlife and conservation. The key difference is how it’s done. Responsible photographers keep their distance, stay quiet, and avoid influencing animal behaviour. When an animal reacts because of us, that’s usually a sign we’re too close. Enjoying wildlife should never come at the expense of their comfort or safety,” wrote a commenter.

“Some people recommend keeping a safe distance of 10 meters for otters. If they have pups around, they can be more sensitive and aggressive,” added another.

One asked what the photographer’s long lens is for, since he came so close to the animals anyway.

And when one opined, “In fact, we need to trap and neuter otters before they become a pest,” another retorted with, “The human appears to be the ‘pest’ in the image, how about neutering him?”

Singapore has experienced an unprecedented otter boom in the past few years, to the amusement of many, but at the expense of some people’s koi farms. While there have only been very few attacks on humans, an incident in Sentosa last year was so severe that a man needed extensive surgery after his otter encounter.

Experts have advised people to keep their distance when they see otters, rather than to approach or touch them. It is also advised not to get close to the otters and not use flash photography, as it can startle them.

When otters are startled, they can react aggressively, scratching and biting. /TISG

Read also: Otters seen running through Khatib MRT ‘must have taken the Mandai shuttle bus’