In a terrifying encounter, a river otter ended up attacking and dragging a child under the water. Although they're cute, the animals can be deadly in the right situation.
According to a press release from the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW), a "human-river otter incident" near Seattle. A child visited the Bremerton Marina when the incident happened. A river otter attacked and pulled a child off the dock as they were walking with their mother. The animal then dragged them underwater.
Fortunately, the child surfaced and survived the encounter. The child's mother managed to pull them out of the water. But they ended up suffering a bite on their arm. The animal was still attacking them as they escaped the water. The otter "continued to pursue the family" as they escaped. The child ended up going to the hospital for minor injuries.
River Otter Attacks Child
"We are grateful the victim only sustained minor injuries, due to the mother's quick actions and child's resiliency," WDFW sergeant Ken Balazs said in the press release. "We would also like to thank the Port of Bremerton for their quick coordination and communication to their marina tenants."
Following the attack, officers asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services to trap and kill otters near the marina. They found one near the dock. They later took it to the lab to test for rabies.
River otters are fairly common in the state. They can be legally killed if they are "damaging crops or domestic animals."
"Although encounters with river otters are rare, they can be territorial and, like any wildlife, are inherently unpredictable," the department stated. It turns out that otter attacks have made the new several times recently. For instance, a woman in Malaysia ended up getting attacked by a gang of the animals. The attack left her bleeding and bloodied.
Officials believe the fact that humans feed them may have caused a change in behavior.
