In wake of otter-pocalypse, koi return to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Gardens

More than six months after a hungry otter devastated the koi population of Vancouver’s Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Gardens, the surviving fish have returned.

The Vancouver Park Board released koi on Thursday morning to re-stock the pond at the popular park.

https://twitter.com/nadia_stewart/status/1126530101791735809

The otter, which took up residence in the garden for about two weeks in November, ate 11 of the gardens’ 14 koi, including a prized 50-year-old fish named Madonna. The rogue otter was never found.

WATCH: Coverage of Sun Yat Sen Gardens otter on Globalnews.ca

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Three adult and 344 juvenile fish were scooped from the pond and taken to the Vancouver Aquarium for safekeeping.

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The Park Board says some of the juveniles had already been returned to the pond, along with donated adult koi from the Nitobe Memorial Garden at UBC.

The board also says it has modified the garden’s entrance and exit points to help prevent otters from getting inside.

The otter saga captivated Vancouver, prompting the creation of a satirical Twitter account, and dividing the public on social media between #TeamKoi and #TeamOtter.

— With files from Nadia Stewart