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Filming Singapore's city otters

By Mammals Producer, Lydia Baines

One of the very last places that I expected to film a gang of dog-sized mammals - was in the middle of Singapore. But as it turns out, one of the most modern cities in the world, is a playground for a large family of smooth coated otters.

Image by Lydia Baines. Camera operator Stuart Dunn films some curious otters in Singapore.

Our crew spent the best part of a month following the Zouk family (named after a nightclub outside of which the otters were first spotted). A family of around 14 otters who hold one of the city's most central territories.

The first day of filming found us waiting outside the Istana of all places – the official residence of the President of Singapore. We had been told by some local otter watchers that the family had last been seen venturing under the gate into the heavily guarded garden of this prestigious residence.

For a couple of days we waited on the street next to a busy main road, feeling increasingly conspicuous as we sat on the pavement, unsure what to expect. But just as we were starting to believe that a family of otters couldn’t possibly live in such an urban environment, 14 otters came running through the fence at top speed and crossed straight over the busy road. It was one of those moments when you really can’t quite believe your eyes.

Image by Lydia Baines. An otter takes advantage of a fresh water fountain in Singapore.

From then on, the shoot was non-stop. The otters had us running around the city at a rate of knots - all day, every day. The family were travelling through a huge, dense area and did most of their moving at a real pace. Patrolling their territory is such a big part of their lives, and it didn’t seem to matter whether they were crossing roads or running through a shopping complex – they just kept going. Seemingly oblivious to the often gobsmacked public that they would run right past.

The otters had us running around the city at a rate of knots - all day, every day.

We had so much kit to carry that we bought a pull-trolley to help us stay on the move. Filming at a time when Covid precautions were in place meant we had to wear masks outside in over thirty degree heat - which might have been okay had we not been constantly running. We made quite a picture – all in our safari gear (excellent at wicking away heat) and running trainers. Normally it’s mountain shoots you have to train for. In this case, training had been needed for the most urban place that I’ve ever filmed.

The otters didn’t always use the roads and pavements - they would charge through waterways, culverts and use the city's drainage ditches – for them the city is a 3D maze. The family were constantly making noise - communicating helps them stay together. We quickly realised that one of the most effective ways to try to locate our otters whenever they disappeared - was to put our ears close to drain pipe covers. I’m still not sure whether it was our peculiar behaviour or the otters that were photographed most by the bemused public.

Image by Lydia Baines. A smooth-coated otter climbs through a culvert in the centre of Singapore.

A group of otters is known as a ‘romp.’

Image by Neil Anderson. Producer Lydia Baines hauling camera equipment through central Singapore.

All you need to do is spend some time with these creatures to see why. And the more time we spent with the otters, the more their personalities came out. Some loved playing in the fountains, whilst some loved getting into fights with the monitor lizards that hung out by the river.

The breeding male (dad) was large, determined and was usually the first across busy roads, not stopping for stragglers. The breeding female (mum) seemed to look around rather more, careful to round up her sizeable family. But constantly being on the move, and being surrounded by so much bustle, smell and noise comes at a price – the family on more than one occasion got split up.

One of these times, it was during a hectic road crossing and the distracted otters seemed unaware of the family member left behind. It was stressful watching these separations, as we could see what the otters could not. But, we just had to let it all unfold and trust that their family bond and incredible communication would bring them back together. And when the family did finally reunite, it was a properly joyful affair for otter family and film crew alike.

Being able to follow this charming and playful family every day was utterly delightful (albeit exhausting). Our ability to keep track of them for the duration of the shoot was largely due to the diligent and ionate otter watchers. This local group of incredible otter lovers know their favourite hangouts, try to keep an eye on their daily whereabouts, and even helped the otters cross roads safely. On so many filming trips these days, we see wildlife being pushed out of various habitats. It was beautiful to see the otters mainly being welcomed here, and celebrated by so many locals.

The presence of such rare wildlife in the centre of a metropolis is a real testament to Singapore’s incredible efforts to clean up their water-ways and create a green city. It felt like a really positive story that we can take lessons from as we continue to try and share our space with wildlife on this planet.