Otters may look cute and cuddly, as anyone who has ever enjoyed watching them playfully annoy at a zoo can attest to. However, they are carnivorous mammals with teeth and jaws strong enough to crush shellfish. Unfortunately, a woman jogging in a city park in Malaysia experienced this the hard way when she was chased and brutally attacked by a pack of about eight wild otters early Wednesday morning.
The incident took place in Tanjung Aru sub-district of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah state. The 40-year-old woman, Mariasella Harun, was jogging on a track adjacent to a government library, a residential area and a golf course just after 6am.
“Suddenly, I saw something coming out of the drain next to the sink. [Kinabalu Golf Club]Harun told local media, Telegram“At first I thought it was a cat, but the creature jumped out and bit me as I was running, and there were so many of them. I couldn't even stand up when it happened.”
He recalled the ordeal lasting about five to 10 minutes, during which two runners tried to help him but were attacked. Photos and videos that emerged on social media showed Harun with bloody wounds covering his entire body. He was later taken to the local Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment.
A gang of wild angry otters attacked a woman in a park in Sabah, Malaysia. Please be careful, appease with fish. pic.twitter.com/OwEd6H94Af
— Stone Age Herbalist (@Paracelsus1092) September 11, 2024
The recreation area is known for having an otter family of at least six adults and two cubs living in it, and they come to the lake to fish. However, the otters usually visit the park in the early morning and evening and do not visit when people are not there.
Sabah Wildlife Department Director Roland Niun said the incident was the first attack on a human in the region, while wildlife officials said there had been a recent increase in otter attacks in Southeast Asia in general.
“We received reports of the incident and were informed that the otters entered through a damaged part of the gate, which has now been repaired,” Niun explained. “They live in surrounding areas with abundant water sources – swamps, canals and ditches.”
“Otters generally avoid humans, and their perceived cuteness may lead some to mistakenly believe they are friendly and tame,” he continued, noting that people should not feed or approach the animals. “Although there have been reports of tame otters in other parts of the state, it is not recommended that you approach them as they may bite if provoked.”
“In this case, the otter family may have viewed the victim as a threat to their cubs and reacted defensively,” he added.
Last year, a woman narrowly escaped an otter attack while sledding along the Jefferson River in Montana, but she emerged with severe injuries and nearly half of her right ear missing.
“This thing was savage and relentless. It bit me multiple times on my face, both ears, arms, hands, legs, thighs and ankles,” said victim Jen Royce of Bozeman, MT. “My friends were bitten on their hands and buttocks. One of my friends had his thumb torn off and has bite marks all over his body.”
Otters can grow up to four feet tall and weigh up to 30 pounds. When they feel their food source or their young are threatened, the animal's heavy, muscular body and sharp claws are enough to overpower pets and humans.