Nature, red in tooth and claw

The Zouk otters in March, 2021 (WSJ)

In a follow-up to yesterday's post about a man injured by otters, the culprits have been identified: the Zouk family of Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Ottercity, a local group that is supportive of otters, said the attack on Mr. Spencer was the work of the so-called Zouk family, a wandering household of around 15 otters that sometimes gather in the Botanic Gardens area.

The Zouks have seen their fair share of struggles. “The family was displaced by other stronger families and have been wandering, searching for a permanent home,” Ottercity said, according to a post on the group’s Facebook page. “Along the way, they lost a few members due to roadkills and fights.”

The Zouks got their name because the parents came from an area near the former location of Zouk, a prominent nightclub in the city. Local otter experts consider the Zouks to be among the most urban-adapted otters in the world.

But their tolerance of humans has limits. Ottercity, backing Mr. Spencer’s account, said a jogger had stepped on the otters in the dim light, causing the family to react in defense of their young against the nearest person still around.

The otters are more urban, not urbane.