Wanted: One slippery otter, for the devouring of a garden’s prized koi

If you've seen an otter stalking the streets of Vancouver, please alert officials immediately.

A sneaky, rather vicious otter has evaded capture for 10 days, after killing at least 10 prized koi fish at the serene Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Vancouver, B.C., according to CBC News.

The river otter was first spotted in the Chinatown attraction's garden on Nov. 17, reportedly making its way to the koi pond and starting its fishing rampage.

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The garden staff have implemented a few techniques to catch the hungry otter, including lowering the water level of the pond.

According to a statement issued by the garden, draining the pond was "not optimal. as it may induce further stress on our koi and make it easier for predators to catch them as the water level sinks."

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Another technique saw the garden team setting "humane" traps for the vagrant, with the Vancouver Park Board hatching plans to relocate the otter to the nearby Fraser Valley once caught.

As of Tuesday, staff were unable to catch the fugitive otter, so decided to try and catch the koi instead.

The remaining koi, including a 50-year-old fish called Madonna, have proven rather difficult to catch or even locate, as staff have been wading in the ponds trying to do so, stirring up sediment in the process.

Luckily, quick garden staff have been able to catch and relocate one lucky koi to the Vancouver Aquarium.

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The garden, which is looking to eventually start a campaign to replenish the pond, issued a heartfelt statement on the fallen koi, calling them "an integral part of the Garden family and our cultural heritage, and we do not take their loss lightly."

“It’s really sad,” Deanna Chan, a spokeswoman for the garden, told the Washington Post. “We think of them as part of the family or part of the team. And we’ve been seeing them left for dead or made a meal of."

They're accepting donations for now, if you're particularly affected by the tragic plight of the koi.

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The Vancouver community is lending a hand too, with local publisher Chinatown Today making buttons representing #TeamOtter and #TeamKoi to raise funds for the garden.

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Meanwhile, the otter is still at large.