A traditional Chinese garden in Vancouver, British Columbia, has been shut down due to a sneaky river otter who’s been terrorizing the resident koi population.
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden describes itself as the first Chinese garden built outside of China. One of its many beautiful features is its koi pond, home to 14 of the pricey and prized fish.
So far, the otter, which has been named the Chinatown Otter, has eaten 11 of those fish. It’s basically a crisis.
While it’s unknown exactly how the otter got in, otters are native to the area and definitely have a taste for fish.
The garden set up a trap to catch the little guy, but they haven’t had any luck so far.
In fact, according to CBC News, the otter managed to sneak into the trap overnight, take the bait, and get out scot-free.
It’s worth noting these aren’t just garden-variety carp. The koi at the gardens are decades old, and new koi can cost thousands of dollars.
Despite that, some people are very much Team Otter.
What are you having for brunch? Me, I'm having koi! #Otterwatch2018
It is sort of a novel problem to have.
Don’t you love it when your one of the main problem in your city is an otter stealing koi fish from chinese garden 😂😂😂😂 #teamotter
And, frankly, the otter seems to be winning.
Indigenous Otter tired of settlers decides to eat all the Koi in first step to overthrowing colonialism. #TeamOtter https://t.co/XndUJduSGI
Although perhaps the biggest tragedy is the puns and memes this whole thing has inspired.
ladies if he -is sneaky -has expensive taste -cannot be found he's not your man. he's an otter terrorizing koi fish at a vancouver park. https://t.co/0lbXsA2EYP
As of now, the garden remains closed as workers attempt to corral and catch the remaining koi.
The fish will be taken to the Vancouver Aquarium for safekeeping until the otter is caught.
