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EG Manilag Staff Writer

year ago the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen garden

pond in Chinatown, Vancouver, was closed for a week due to a hungry river otter that killed u large koi, including a 50-year old one. After the incident, the otter was never found again. The remaining koi were then relocated into the Vancouver Aquarium for safekeeping. Six months later, the remaining koi—together with 344 new baby koi—were returned and the pond was “otter-proofed.” The pond had live traps, gate barriers, and grates in underground pipes installed. However, this year on November 2, another otter managed to get inside the garden and eat six koi.

Numerous theories were brought up as to how the elusive otter evaded all the traps and barriers set up. According to Howard Normann, Vancouver Parks Director, the pond was already fully secured—it’s a mystery how the sneaky creature got in.

c ieee returns

» Updates and after-effects of the latest otter-koi saga

“We know for a fact there’s no entrance points like a sewer or water line or drainage line into the garden that isn’t sealed,” he said. “I’m assuming it either climbed over the gate, or somebody left it ajar and it just managed to get in.”

Otter expert, Dave Rosen from Vancouver Aquarium, also said that otters are skilled when it comes to hunting their prey—making them difficult to catch.

“Tt is very difficult to keep an otter out or into something where it doesn't want to be. They are good climbers. They can go through drains. They can fit through small spaces,” he said.

According to The Star, wildlife experts say the otter in question is the same one from last year’s koi chaos. This trouble- making otter is a Northern River Otter. This species usually spends their time living and hunting alone, but they can form groups like most other species do. Compared to sea otters, who usually spend their time in saltwater and rarely on land, river otters frequently venture on land. They are mostly found here in Canada and the

US. According to a Vancouver Park Board biologist, Nick Page, there could be 15 to 30 river otters in the Lower Mainland.

Now with koi, they are no doubt one of the most expensive pet fishes in the world. According to Business Insider, a koi fish, who won the All Japan Koi Show in 2017, was sold at $1.8 million—the most expensive koi fish ever sold. Altogether, the otter had slain 17 large koi. Those koi may or may not be in line with the expensive show-quality breed, but considering their size and age, this otter has cost the garden a pretty penny.

This news went viral last year, with people taking sides as #TeamKoi or #TeamOtter. On Twitter, a parody account by Team Otter (@ChinatownOtter) has now gained more than 2,600 followers, and the newly created Team Koi account (@ ChinatownKoi) has over 220 followers. A local non-profit organization also initiated an event where they sold Team Koi and Team Otter buttons for $2 each. According to Daily Hive, the proceeds were initially planned to be donated to the garden pond

First come, first serve, first aid

» DSU hosts first aid courses for Douglas College students

Jessica Berget Editor-in-Chief

D: you know how to give CPR if an emergency situation arises? On November 16 and 17, you can learn how! The Douglas Students’ Union (DSU) will be hosting Red Cross Emergency First Aid courses.

There will be three different first aid courses available, each with three different price points and duration times. The first one—Emergency First Aid/CPR-C will be an eight-hour course with a $50 fee. It will teach the basics of first aid—such as what to do if someone is choking, bleeding, having a heart-attack, having a breathing emergency, or having a stroke. It also includes automated external defibrillator (AED) certification.

The second, Standard First Aid (SFA)/ CPR-C is a 16-hour, two-day long course for a $115 fee. It will cover everything the first course covers as well as the skills to handle life-threatening emergencies and traumatic injuries, such as head or spinal injuries, fractures, burns, or poison.

Finally, Emergency and Standard First

Aid/CPR level Basic Life Support (BLS) is a 17-hour two-day course costing $125. It will teach everything in SFA, but the CPR is on a basic life support level—meant to help participants feel confident that they are performing CPR at the highest level of skill.

These courses are held on a first come, first serve basis and are available for current Douglas College students or DSU fee paying members, with a portion of the fees subsidized by the DSU. Students who are interested are asked to register online at vital-link.ca.

Douglas College itself has an Occupational First Aid (OFA) program which adheres to WorkSafeBC regulations. All contracted security officers are trained in level 1 or 2 OFA in support of the college and can administer first aid to students, employees, and campus users. A level 2 OFA trained officer is on duty at the college during campus hours.

There are first aid rooms in every Douglas College Campus (yes, even the Anvil Centre) and are equipped with first aid kits, AED’s, Naloxone Nasal Spray, and other required emergency supplies.

According to the Douglas College

website, to summon first aid attention, it

is recommended to either call local 2400

from a college landline phone, call campus

security, or go to the security campus kiosk. In the case of a life-threatening

news // no. 5

Photo by Michelle Lim

to compensate for the loss, but the staff there have refused, and want the money to be given to a wildlife preservation organization instead. Now, t-shirts and mugs are being sold online.

The division of this showdown served to spark cultural awareness of the Chinese. The koi in Chinese culture symbolizes good fortune, prosperity, perseverance, and longevity. The death of those koi, according to Chinese communities, may mean a loss of an important cultural symbol in Chinatown.

One musician was inspired by this saga to compose a Chinese rock opera. Shon Wong, who wrote an opera called “Tale of the Eastside Lantern,” believed that this event was the perfect metaphor for his next opera.

“The koi fish represents the traditions of the Chinese, and the past, and the history,” he said. “The otter kind of represents the gentrification of Chinatown, which is happening right now with a lot of redevelopment.”

situation, you must call gu first and then advise campus security. If you have to

call first responders, provide as much information as you can and don’t hang up until they hang up first.