Celebrating the Bishan Otter Family

Google Dooles 06.08.2023 21:30  Date: August 7, 2023 While Singapore is renowned for its sky-scraping architecture and well-loved gastronomy, it’s also home to a group of smooth-coated otters who have stolen the hearts of people around the world — today’s hand-crafted Doodle celebrates the original Bishan Otter Family. On this day in 2016, Singaporeans voted in a poll by The Straits Times to select the otters to represent the country on its 51st birthday. Classified as a critically endangered species in Singapore, five otters were spotted at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park in Singapore in 2014 — an incredibly rare sighting in the country’s urban area at the time. After clashing with another group of otters, the family of critically-endangered animals moved into Marina Bay that same year. Since then, residents and tourists have gathered to watch the ten otters go about their day. On a typical day, the Bishan family catches fish and basks on the shore. After dinner, the otters play with each other in the water before rolling around in the sand. The Bishan Otter Family became internationally famous in 2016 when English broadcaster Sir David Attenborough based a documentary on their lives. Since their spotting, more families of otters have emerged around Singapore. The otters’ ability to exist amid urban development has gained the interest of global researchers. Many credit Singapore's reforestation and anti-pollution efforts for the animal’s resurgence in the country. These cute creatures aren't just a testament to the country's environmental conservation—now, they're a symbol of Singapore itself. Behind the Doodle Check out how Doodler Helene Leroux hand-crafted today’s Doodle! Work in progress felt otters and vegetation assembly Early Doodle Drafts Location: Tags: