Yesterday morning, the Washington Division of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) says it acquired a report of an otter assault on a mom and her younger youngster on the Bremerton Marina. The otter managed to tug the kid into and beneath the water. The mom and youngster sustained accidents however survived the assault, and wildlife officers are searching for the otter(s) concerned within the incident.
WDFW says the mom and youngster have been strolling on the marina’s dock when the river otter attacked. It dragged the kid underwater, however the youngster obtained free and resurfaced after just a few moments.
“The kid’s mom was in a position to raise the kid out of the water whereas the otter continued to assault and was subsequently bit within the arm,” WDFW says in a press launch. “The river otter continued to pursue the household as they left the dock. The kid sustained scratches and bites to the highest of the pinnacle, face and legs.”
Medical professionals handled the kid’s accidents at a neighborhood hospital.
“WDFW Fish and Wildlife officers contacted the U.S. Division of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Companies to lure and lethally take away the river otters from the marina,” WDFW says.
From there, the division says the Washington Animal Illness Diagnostic Lab will consider the otter(s) and take a look at for rabies.
Are Otter Assaults Frequent?
River otters (Lontra canadensis) dwell in recent, brackish, and even saltwater habitats all through Washington. In accordance with WDFW, there have solely been six documented human-river otter incidents in Washington within the final decade. Nonetheless, this information comes on the heels of a report of a jogger in Malaysia who was lately attacked by a bunch of otters.
“Though encounters with river otters are uncommon, they are often territorial and, like several wildlife, are inherently unpredictable,” the division says.
We typically consider otters (each river otters and their bigger marine cousins, sea otters) as cuddly and cute. And they’re, however they’re additionally wild animals. All the time give wild animals house and by no means assume that cute animals aren’t harmful.
