Sea Point residents were treated to an unusual spectacle on Monday, March 9, when an otter was spotted wandering along High Level Road.
The rare sighting prompted a swift, multi-agency response, with the Sea Point City Improvement District (SPCID) immediately alerting the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and CapeNature for assistance.
CapeNature stresses that this is their natural behaviour.
Spokesman Luke Folb said otters are found throughout the Sea Point area.
"There are family units in Green Point Park and the Waterfront as well as many other spots along the coast," he said.
Mr Folb said the female otter was captured and released at a secure site within its territory, not too far from where it was caught.
SPCA spokeswoman Belinda Abraham said their wildlife team was on site to provide assistance to Cape Nature regarding the capture and relocation of the female otter.
While SPCID teams said they were accustomed to helping ducks navigate the busy local roads, this occasion called for the rescue of a much more elusive creature.
The animal proved to be a challenging subject for the officials.
A video on social media showed that the otter kept its pursuers on their toes, darting away and refusing to cooperate with attempts to safely capture it.
Officers from the City of Cape Town Law Enforcement also joined the effort.
Authorities extended their gratitude to all teams involved for their quick response and collaborative effort in attempting to ensure the animal could be safely returned to a more natural environment.
Mr Folb said otters were generally shy and reclusive animals, but like any other wild animal it would defend themselves if threatened.
"Otters that frequent urban and peri-urban landscapes have been known to try and chase off people through intimidation or nipping if they are approached or when guarding their holts (sleeping sites), their young or other high-value resources like a freshwater source or food source," he said.
He said when otters are spotted, they should be enjoyed from a distance and not be pressured or approached.
"If they try to intimidate you, they are likely trying to move you away from a resource or offspring that they are guarding - move away slowly and quietly," Mr Folb.
He said that this time of the year, they will frequent residential and urban areas looking for fresh water sources so they can rinse the salt water out of their fur; this process is vital for thermoregulatory purposes.
"They are a species of conservation concern that may not be willfully disturbed, chased, captured, transported, or killed without a permit from CapeNature," said Mr Folb.
Find Atlantic Sun on TikTok and Instagram @ccmonlineza