Kuala Lumpur City Hall has adopted wild otters who have made Taman Tasik Metropolitan Kepong and the Perdana Botanical Gardens their home

"The DBKL has made the wild otters as its ‘adopted children’ and will protect them in terms of their safety from visitors," mayor Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan told Malay Mail.

However, he did not go into specifics about how the city hall would be looking after the otters.

The mammals are believed to be smooth-coated otters which are endangered.

They were reportedly first spotted at the Kepong park last September, while the ones at the Perdana Botanical Gardens were sighted last month.

Members of the public who spot wild otters are advised to keep their distance and watch them from afar.

Malaysian Nature Society research assistant Woo Chee Yeong said the presence of otters at the parks indicates a healthy wetland and a functioning ecosystem.

“This too will help encourage local councils to keep the environment clean, for otters and for the people too,” he said.