River Cleanup in Singapore Leads to Wild Otter Boom

River Cleanup in Singapore Leads to Wild Otter Boom – with advantages and disadvantages
graph by M. Theng and N. Sivasothi; slow reveal by Leanne Thurlow

(Slide Deck includes notes and questions to elicit discourse)

Type of Graph: double bar graph

Visualization Source: Theng, M and Sivasothi, N (2016). The Smooth-Coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata (Mammalia: Mustelidae) in Singapore: Establishment and Expansion in Natural and Semi-Urban Environments. IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 33 (1): 37 – 49
(with slight alterations by Leanne Thurlow and Jenna Laib)

Data Source: see above

Potential Math Content: bar graph, change over time, scale along the y-axis, scale along the x-axis, broken continuity in data, estimating values

Potential Content Connections: environemntal cleanup, humans interacting with the environment

Sustainable Development Goal(s):
#6 – Clean water and sanitation
#14 – Life below water
#15 – Life on land

Paired Texts:

• Kelliher, Fiona (2022). “Slippery, hungry, sometimes angry: Singapore struggles with ‘unparalleled’ otter boom.” The Guardian: October 22, 2022.
• Lui, John (2024). “Singapore and its otters feature in new BBC Earth documentary series Mammals.” Straits Times: April 5, 2024.
• Tuấn, Dũng (2024). “The Otters of Singapore Once thought to be extinct in Singapore, wild otters are making a comeback to the urban city-state.” Story Maps: February 23, 2024.