An otter has been released safely after a scary dash through Sea Point’s busy streets.
Cape Town, South Africa (12 March 2026) – The otter first popped up, some residents suspect, through a storm drain on High Level Road in Sea Point, when the SPCID was alerted.
A lively chase ensued when the animal, understandably confused and frightened, tried to escape attempts by authorities, who were working together to keep the animal out of harm’s way and out of the busy roads.
“Earlier today an otter was spotted wandering along High Level Road. The SPCID team quickly alerted the SPCA and CapeNature, who responded swiftly to assist with the rescue.” shared the SPCID. “The otter, however, clearly had other plans and gave everyone involved quite the run for their money, darting off and refusing to cooperate as teams attempted to safely capture it for relocation to a more suitable environment.”
With authorities wielding nets, the rescue became quite a spectacle as they worked to guide the frightened animal away from traffic and toward safety.
“With support from local Law Enforcement Officers and the SPCID team on the ground, the operation became a real community effort to ensure the animal’s safety.”
Thanks to the SPCID, SPCA, CapeNature and law enforcement, the otter was released in a safe and more natural habitat.
“It’s not every day that an otter decides to take a stroll through Sea Point, but moments like this remind us just how unique our neighbourhood is, where urban life and wildlife occasionally cross paths.”
Otters in Cape Town are actually more common than many people realise…
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The species spotted in Sea Point was almost certainly a Cape clawless otter, Africa’s largest otter species and one that has adapted to living alongside people in parts of Cape Town, particularly around the city’s canals, rivers and wetlands.
In fact, Cape Town has its own growing population of so-called ‘urban otters’. They have become particularly well known at the V&A Waterfront, where a small family has lived in the canals and waterways since 2018. During the pandemic, nature took over like it did in many parts of the world, and otters established several territories along the waterways.
“Otters have been in the Waterfront since 2018 when one took residence under a jetty in the canals. During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, when much activity on the Waterfront shut down, the otters established several territories in the absence of human activity. The Cape clawless otter population in the Waterfront now comprises a small family.” shares the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation. (TOA)
The TOA subsequently launched the Urban Otter Project in 2022 to monitor the otters, study their behaviour and guide inevitable encounters between otters and people. The V&A’s otters have their own ‘chaperones’ who make sure that interactions between otters and dog walkers, kayakers, residents, and tourists are kept under control.
The species is listed as Near Threatened and faces threats that include habitat degradation, water pollution, poaching and encounters with domestic animals. Organisations like TOA and The Owl Rescue Centre are working to protect them.
If you ever encounter an otter, the best approach is to give it space. Back away slowly and allow the animal a clear path to move off. If it appears injured, distressed or stuck, residents should contact the Cape of Good Hope SPCA Wildlife Unit or CapeNature, who are authorised to intervene and assist. If you are lucky enough to spot one in the wild, sightings can also be reported to the Two Oceans Aquarium to help researchers track the city’s growing otter population.
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