A group of otters attacked a jogger in Malaysia and left her seriously injured, according to a Viral Press report cited by multiple outlets.
The unnamed woman was attacked by a group of eight otters Wednesday morning at Sabah, Malaysia's Tanjung Aru Recreation Park, according to Viral Press, TMZ reported.
Videos and photos circulating on social media appear to show a bloodied middle-aged woman sitting on the curb. She reportedly sustained injuries to her legs, arms and head, The Star reported, showing images of apparent injuries. A video later appears to show a group of otters running around a parking lot.
"Preliminary investigations found that a group of otters entered the recreation centre to look for food in the park pond," Sabah Wildlife Department Director Roland Oliver Niun told the Daily Mail.
Niun told the outlet that there is a known population of otters near the park and that officials have noticed a change in their behavior after people feed the animals.
A fence surrounding the park is set to be reinforced, according to the government, TMZ reported. Parkgoers are being urged to avoid interacting with the animals to prevent conflicts, the Daily Mail reported.
The woman was reportedly taken to a local hospital for treatment.
While reported otter attacks are rare, they are not unheard of. In November 2023, a California man claimed he was attacked by otters and suffered 40 puncture wounds, according to KCRA 3.
"These things were so aggressive that, literally, I felt like they wanted to kill me," Matt Leffers told the outlet.
Leffers was reportedly swimming in the Serene Lakes, close to Lake Tahoe, at the time of the incident.
"I felt something bite my calf," he told KCRA 3. "Within seconds, I was bit again. And then I started swimming fast but there was the otter, popped up right in front of me and then I was bit again."
Comment: This once unusual aggressive behavior against humans by otters seems to have become increasingly common in recent years, see the reports below:
I was swimming one day a couple years ago, and noticed an animal about 25 or 30 feet ahead of me in the water. When it dove down, I could see it was an otter. They are a lot bigger than I thought. I turned around, and let him have the space. I would have told him I was not about to cause him any trouble, but he didn't speak English.
The room being hung around with a collection of the portraits of remarkable men, among them were those of Bacon, Newton and Locke. Hamilton asked me who they were. I told him they were my trinity of the three greatest men the world had ever produced, naming them. He paused for some time: "The greatest man," said he, "that ever lived, was Julius Caesar."
~ Letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush
- Thomas Jefferson
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Comment: This once unusual aggressive behavior against humans by otters seems to have become increasingly common in recent years, see the reports below: