River Otter Drags Young Child Underwater in Washington State

Yesterday morning, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) says it received a report of an otter attack on a mother and her young child at the Bremerton Marina. The otter managed to pull the child into and under the water. The mother and child sustained injuries but survived the attack, and wildlife officials are looking for the otter(s) involved in the incident.

WDFW says the mother and child were walking on the marina’s dock when the river otter attacked. It dragged the child underwater, but the child got free and resurfaced after a few moments.

“The child’s mother was able to lift the child out of the water while the otter continued to attack and was subsequently bit in the arm,” WDFW says in a press release. “The river otter continued to pursue the family as they left the dock. The child sustained scratches and bites to the top of the head, face and legs.”

Medical professionals treated the child’s injuries at a local hospital.

“WDFW Fish and Wildlife officers contacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services to trap and lethally remove the river otters from the marina,” WDFW says.

From there, the department says the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab will evaluate the otter(s) and test for rabies.

Are Otter Attacks Common?

River otters (Lontra canadensis) live in fresh, brackish, and even saltwater habitats throughout Washington. According to WDFW, there have only been six documented human-river otter incidents in Washington in the last decade. However, this news comes on the heels of a report of a jogger in Malaysia who was recently attacked by a group of otters.

“Although encounters with river otters are rare, they can be territorial and, like any wildlife, are inherently unpredictable,” the department says.

We generally think of otters (both river otters and their larger marine cousins, sea otters) as cuddly and cute. And they are, but they’re also wild animals. Always give wild animals space and never assume that cute animals aren’t dangerous.

Source: https://outdoors.com/river-otter-drags-young-child-underwater-in-washington-state/