VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The Vancouver Park Board has set out a trap in hopes of catching an otter that managed to make its way to the Doctor Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Gardens in Vancouver.
The board says they’re hoping to remove the furry creature as soon as possible, especially since they estimate it has already eaten about five of the iconic koi fish in the pond.
“It came to our attention really on Sunday when it was spotted starting to feed on some of the larger koi,” says director Howard Norman.
He says some of the fish are over 50 years old.
Otter still at large at @vangarden pond eating koi fish. We don’t know how it got into the garden. #VanParkBoard staff hoping to trap it and re-locate it to a new home in #StanleyPark. pic.twitter.com/JbqI8zglGU
— Vancouver Park Board (@ParkBoard) November 20, 2018
Norman says the otter was first spotted near Chinatown on Thursday but they still don’t know how the animal got there.
“They have shown up at different areas of the city before,” Norman says, but he adds this is the first one of them has made it to the Chinese Garden.”We’ve had herrings in the pond, maybe the odd racoon will show up, but they usually can’t get at the larger fish.”
The board was forced to close the park on Tuesday in hopes of catching the animal.
If caught, Norman says the otter will probably be taken to Stanley Park.
