Vancouver residents have begun to declare themselves 害羞草研究所淭eam Otter害羞草研究所� or 害羞草研究所淭eam Koi害羞草研究所� as an elusive otter feasting on expensive fish in a tranquil garden pond continues to evade capture.
The otter mysteriously made its way to the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden last week and has gobbled up seven decorative koi, many of which have been there for decades.
A wildlife relocation expert and set three new traps containing rainbow trout and an oil mixture, but staff are still waiting for the critter to jump into them, the city害羞草研究所檚 parks director said Saturday.
It害羞草研究所檚 hard to say whether the otter has found the traps or shown any interest in them, Howard Normann said.
害羞草研究所淣ot enough to get into them, that害羞草研究所檚 for sure.害羞草研究所�
Garden staff were discussing options Saturday to remove the koi from the pond to keep them safe, but Normann said it害羞草研究所檚 not as easy as it sounds.
害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e sensitive fish. It害羞草研究所檚 pretty tricky to do,害羞草研究所� he said.
He declined to share the wildlife relocation害羞草研究所檚 expert害羞草研究所檚 name or where he害羞草研究所檚 from but Normann said staff are confident in his abilities.
害羞草研究所淗e害羞草研究所檚 an experienced otter trapper, so that害羞草研究所檚 about as confident as we can get,害羞草研究所� he said.
It害羞草研究所檚 still unclear how the otter found the garden, which is surrounded by busy streets, but a resident recently contacted Normann to report the critter may have been living in a nearby park between the Sun Yat-Sen garden and False Creek.
The garden has remained closed since the otter set up shop and once it害羞草研究所檚 captured the plan is to relocate it to the Fraser Valley.
In the meantime, the story has captivated people in Vancouver and beyond, with social media users joining #TeamOtter or #TeamKoi.
害羞草研究所淭his is bad for the otter, so removing him is in everyone害羞草研究所檚 best interest,害羞草研究所� one #TeamKoi member said.
Local non-profit group Chinatown Today has even made a batch of buttons bearing adorable cartoon otters and koi and is selling the buttons for $2 each
Initially, the group planned to donate all proceeds to the classical garden, but founder Louis Lapprend said the garden has asked that the money be given to a wildlife refuge instead.
Lapprend said people appear to be fascinated by the story in part because it害羞草研究所檚 a battle of wits similar to a Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoon, in which the coyote can never quite catch his prey despite trying increasingly ridiculous schemes.
害羞草研究所淚 think there害羞草研究所檚 a comedy aspect to it, because every day the park board staff will set up new traps and every morning, they have to publicly announce the otter visited the traps, ate all the bait, and didn害羞草研究所檛 trigger anything,害羞草研究所� he said.
害羞草研究所淥n a more philosophical level, I think it害羞草研究所檚 about the way that we live in a big city, we try to control the environment, and suddenly something completely unpredictable happens and it害羞草研究所檚 nature intruding. I think it does something to our brains. It triggers a reaction which is fascinating.害羞草研究所�
Laura Kane, The Canadian Press
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