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Friday November 19, 2010

Otter rescued from drain at shopping mall

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Civil Defence Department rescued an otter trapped in a drain in front of a shopping complex in Tanjung Tokong here. Rescue workers were deployed to the scene after a guard at the shopping complex spotted the fish-eater stuck in a drain at about 1.40am yesterday.

The security guard alerted the authorities after he noticed the mammal making a lot of noise. The department’s northeast district chief Lieutenant Zunaidin Abdullah said five civil defence officers took 30 minutes to free the otter, which weighed about 30kg.



Like a fish out of water: Personnel from the Penang Civil Defence Department checking on the otter after the fish-eater was brought out from the drain in Tanjung Tokong yesterday. He said the otter had become entangled with some wire in the drain. It has been handed to the state Perhilitan.

Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) marine biologist Dr Aileen Tan said it was unusual to find an otter on land, especially near a residential area unless its natural habitat has been disturbed. She said the mammal’s food source could have been affected.

Dr Tan expressed concern over the excessive development and reclamation in the city. She, however, added that otters could be easily spotted on the coast. State Perhilitan director Jamalun Nasir Ibrahim said the otter was in a weak condition. “We will send it to the Malacca Zoo once it recovers,” he said.

[Jack ali]

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