Intruder alert: A screengrab of the otters crossing the airport tarmac.
KOTA KINABALU: Otters are stealing the spotlight again, nearly two months after gaining notoriety for attacking a jogger here.
They were spotted crossing a runway at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA), just 6km from Perdana Park in Tanjung Aru where a jogger was set upon by some otters on Sept 11.
Their latest appearance was captured in a 33-second video posted on YouTube by a user named Oswald Original, titled “Big Land Otters Running Wild at Kota Kinabalu Airport 20 Oct 2024”.
In the video, the otters – both adults and pups – can be seen crossing the tarmac. One otter pauses, standing upright as if greeting the person shooting the video.
A spokesperson for Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), when contacted, said it was aware of the video and confirmed it was taken at KKIA.
Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) director Roland Niun, when contacted, said his team had reviewed the clip.
“We have not received any complaints from KKIA or MAHB. Airports are highly sensitive to the presence of animals on runways, even birds. However, SWD has not been informed of any sightings so far,” he said.
As for the attack in September, he said efforts are still underway to trap the otters at Perdana Park for relocation.
They had come out of nowhere and bit a 40-year-old housewife on a routine jog that morning.
She sustained injuries on her arms, legs and head. Two bystanders who came to her aid were also attacked.
Niun said this was Sabah’s first reported otter attack, which is unusual for these typically non-aggressive animals.
Protected under Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997, otters have recently been sighted in several other recreational parks around Kota Kinabalu, particularly those near rivers and lakes.
