Mei Hwang wrote: “This took me by as much surprise as it did the Black Swans (Cygnus atratus)… From out of the blue, a Malayan Water Monitor (Varanus salvator) lunged forward and almost got at the Black Swan cygnet… thankfully the adult swans reacted fast and managed to save it in the nick of time, otherwise the only cygnet that managed to hatch would be history!” – see photo above.
Lai Yeu Huan added: “Yesterday the swans also had to ward off some unwelcome interest from the otters,” referring to the Smooth Otters (Lutrogale perspicillata).
The increase in the numbers of the Malayan Water Monitors and the Smooth Otters is a relatively recent phenomenon. Because of this, there have been quite a number of reports of confrontations between these two animals LINK.
The plentiful monitor lizards are also making news as they seek out vulnerable prey like the Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata), Bighead Carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), catfish and any vulnerable snakes that happened to be around.
Mei Hwang & Lai Yeu Huan
Singapore
26th August 2019
This post is a cooperative effort between Birds, Insects N Creatures Of Asia and BESG to bring the study of birds and their behaviour through photography and videography to a wider audience.
