--- title: Otter Eats Valuable Koi in Vancouver Park, Prompting Closing description: A wild river otter's quest to satiate his hunger has resulted in a weeks-long saga surrounding the loss of koi fish to a Vancouver garden. canonical: https://time.com/5465640/otter-koi/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-11-28T18:36:59.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:56:12.965Z og:title: Otter Eats Valuable Koi in Vancouver Park, Prompting Closing og:description: Here's what you need to know og:url: https://time.com/5465640/otter-koi/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt49b8d2792d25fc98/6989403e096a9458a86a40de/otter-koi.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: A River Otter rest in its exhibit at the og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Otter Eats Valuable Koi in Vancouver Park, Prompting Closing twitter:description: Here's what you need to know twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt49b8d2792d25fc98/6989403e096a9458a86a40de/otter-koi.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Whose Side Are You On? How You Feel About the Koi-Devouring Otter Saga Could Reveal Your True Self > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. 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It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=9d6164fe-30db-40bf-a680-7e9b279f03f0&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1)  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Nov 28, 2018 6:36 PM UTC  Seattle, UNITED STATES: A River Otter rest in its exhibit at the zoo in Seattle, Washington, 01 October, 2006\. The zoo, established in 1899, claims 1,098 specimens representing 300 species plus 34 groups of arthropods, one group of fish and one group of Partula snails. The zoo provides a home for 35 endangered and five threatened animal species. The zoo?s botanical collection includes 7,000 trees and more than 50,000 shrubs and herbs representing more than 1,000 species. AFP PHOTO/GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) Seattle, UNITED STATES: A River Otter rest in its exhibit at the zoo in Seattle, Washington, 01 October, 2006\. The zoo, established in 1899, claims 1,098 specimens representing 300 species plus 34 groups of arthropods, one group of fish and one group of Partula snails. The zoo provides a home for 35 endangered and five threatened animal species. The zoo?s botanical collection includes 7,000 trees and more than 50,000 shrubs and herbs representing more than 1,000 species. AFP PHOTO/GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) GABRIEL BOUYS—AFP/Getty Images  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Nov 28, 2018 6:36 PM UTC A wild river [otter](http://time.com/3560116/baby-otter-cute-swim-chicago-heart-bursting/)‘s quest to satiate his hunger has resulted in a weeks-long saga surrounding the pricey loss of [Koi fish](http://time.com/5011386/donald-trump-fish-koi-japan/) to a Vancouver garden. The intrepid otter, who was first spotted in the garden mid-November, has killed and eaten at least 10 of the precious Koi fish at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Vancouver’s Chinatown. The otter’s voracious appetite and decidedly expensive taste in fish (according to [_CTV News_](https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/officials-taking-drastic-measures-to-catch-rogue-otter-in-vancouver-1.4192326), the Koi are valued at between $1,000 – $5,000) has prompted the garden to close the grounds in order to evacuate the four remaining Koi fish and catch the otter. As of Monday, only one of the valuable Koi fish had been caught and transferred to the Vancouver Aquarium for safekeeping. The staff is currently working to lower the water level in the pond since high water levels and murkiness have made it difficult for them to catch the remaining fish. Humane traps have been set for the otter who, once caught, will be relocated to the Fraser Valley. The garden is closed until further notice, as the search for the otter and the remaining Koi fish continues, but those who wish to follow the story as it develops, can follow along on Twitter, on the Garden’s official account and using the hashtag, #Otterwatch2018. > [](https://twitter.com/vangarden/status/1064699885528776704) > [](https://twitter.com/vangarden/status/1065038371892928513) > [](https://twitter.com/vangarden/status/1066021092987420673) > [](https://twitter.com/vangarden/status/1066126804677812224) > [](https://twitter.com/vangarden/status/1066798730559582209) > [](https://twitter.com/vangarden/status/1067218972859408384) > [](https://twitter.com/vangarden/status/1067504630551199746) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5465640/otter-koi/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5465640/otter-koi/"},"headline":"Whose Side Are You On? 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