Lawyer in Bright Hill horrified after finding his beloved koi mutilated by otters
Calista Wong
TNP
May 21, 2025
Mr Hoh Chin Cha woke up on the morning of May 19 to a horrifying sight - all eight of his beloved koi had been mauled and mutilated in the pond of his Bright Hill home.
Upon noticing that several of the koi were swimming in a strange manner, he stepped into the pond to investigate, only to realise that their eyeballs had been gouged out.
All eight koi eventually died.
The 67-year-old lawyer believes his home, located near Bishan Park where otters have been known to frequent, was visited by the animals overnight. Although he does not have video footage of the alleged incident, Mr Hoh said it appeared to be the work of otters.
The collapsible gate to his semi-detached house had been locked, but he noted that it was not designed to keep these smaller animals away.
"It's devastating," he told The Straits Times, reflecting on his experience raising koi since he was young. This particular group had been with him for over five years.
In total, the eight koi were valued at under $10,000, according to Mr Hoh, who is also the founder of Hoh Law Corporation.
He called for the otter population to be better managed.
"We all love animals, and otters are very cuddly and very nice, but they can do a lot of damage to fish lovers - people who keep koi as pets. Fishes are also animals."
The National Parks Board has advised home owners who keep ornamental fish to take steps to prevent otters from entering their homes. These include sealing gaps in fences and gates, and setting up tall barriers around ponds, or covering them with netting or panels.
Mr Kalaivanan Balakrishnan, chief executive of wildlife rescue group Acres, told ST that it is aware of the incident and has offered to visit Mr Hoh to offer guidance on measures he can take to safeguard his home and pet fish.
Noting that otters are "opportunistic and adaptable", he said: "With the right knowledge, effective protection can be achieved at relatively low cost."
In 2023, a family found all their pet koi dead, speculating that a romp of otters had been responsible.
In March 2024, an otter was spotted eating koi at the fountain outside Capital Tower in Robinson Road, reported citizen journalism website Stomp.
