Posted on 11/26/2018 12:02:42 PM PST by Gamecock
A total of 10 expensive koi fish have now been killed and eaten by the otter as of Sunday morning; there were previously 14 adult koi living in the ponds at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park in Chinatown.
As a result, staff at the Chinatown park have begun evacuating koi from the park’s ponds. On Saturday, crews moved in to begin rescue efforts.
So far, only one fish has been moved to the Vancouver Aquarium for safekeeping; koi are also difficult to capture so it remains unclear how long the evacuation will take though crews are working to relocate the remaining three fish. The one relocated koi took “several hours” to capture on Saturday, due to poor visibility in the water.
“It has been a difficult mission, trying to rescue our koi,” said Debbie Cheung, spokeswoman with the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park.
Cheung said it remains unknown whether Madonna, a 50-plus-year-old koi who had been at the park for the past 20 years, is among the remaining survivors.
The evacuation comes after an expert trapper was brought in late last week in an attempt to relocate the otter. Officials had been hoping to avoid relocating the koi, as draining the pond and moving the fish could cause stress and possible damage.
But after the otter was able to evade a set trap, stealing the bait and prancing off unscathed, officials are now forced to move the remaining koi.
It remains unclear exactly when and where the otter moved into the park earlier this month though its den has been located at the east end of the park. The park remains closed to the public until the otter can be relocated to the Fraser Valley, where it will be able to feast on salmon.
Cheung said there are plans to announce a fundraiser this coming week, to help with the cost of replacing the devoured koi. The colourful carp can cost anywhere from $10 for a small, young koi, up to thousands of dollars for show-grade, senior koi.
Earlier this year, a koi carp fish was sold at auction in Japan by breeder Kentaro Sakai for 203 million Yen ($2.4 million CAD), setting a new record.
No mention of how much taxpayer money is being blown on this Canuck critter comedy?
Sigh/facepalm...partially drain the pond.
Haven't seen any new music from her lately, wondered where she was...
...but I don't really give a carp.
Tim Matheson had no comment.
Otter: ‘De-rish-us’
apparently not for otters
The last time I visited a koi pond was at the Bok Tower & Gardens outside Orlando, and the fish practically jumped out of the water to be fed.
Otters are native. Koi are not. Maybe he’s just dealing with illegal immigrants the only way he know how.
Without the rice.
It’s more like sashimi
“Otter Rampage”
And another band name is born.
“Prancing off unscathed”
Probably swam up from San Francisco.
Isn’t this the place that gives free needles to the junkies?
And they can’t find it in their hearts to give some free goldfish to a poor otter?
Filthy, stinking otter-haters.
Leave them, feed the otter!!!
KOI = Legal citizen
OTTER = ILLEGAL immigrant
Catching Koi for an otter isn’t hard unless the otter catches it with chopsticks.
“...koi are also difficult to capture...”
Not if you drop a 110v wire into the pond, to shock them into floating to the surface. they’re real easy to net, then.
Koi do jump.
But it’s the “Circle of Life”.
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