A river otter attacked a boy and his grandma last Thursday morning in Pilchuck River, around 30 miles northeast of Seattle, leaving the two with serious injuries.
Capt. Alan Myers of the Department of Fish & Wildlife said the otter first attacked the eight-year-old boy named Bryce, repeatedly biting and scratching him. When the unnamed grandmother tried to shoo away the animal, it then attacked her too, causing her serious eye injury. Even as they left the river, the animal didn’t stop attacking them.
Bryce’s mom, Tabitha Moser, said in an interview with USA Today that she suddenly heard his son screaming for life.
“He was just bobbing up and down in the water and as he came up there was something all the way on top of his head,” recalled Moser.
The two were brought to the hospital with injuries on their head, face, hands and arms. Initial reports said Bryce required stitches at the Providence Medical Center where he was being treated for the bites, while his grandmother at the Harbor Medical Center could lose the affected eye because of the severe injury it sustained from the attack.
Reports said wildlife authorities tried to locate and trap the otter, and most likely will kill the animal because it already caused harm on people. If the otter is a female type with pups, remote relocation will be implemented instead.
The otter, when captured, will also be tested for rabies. As of this writing, however, no reports of successful capture were released yet.
Wildlife officials also agreed that otters are generally not dangerous or aggressive animals.
Myers said that in his 15 years with the wildlife department, he has “never had an experience with an aggressive otter."
Wildlife biologist Ruth Milner at the wildlife department likewise agreed to this but still said “any animal can be aggressive in the wrong circumstances.”
“It could have felt threatened by the human activity in the area,” Milner said, adding that these otters are normally calm even around people.
Myers, meanwhile, said there were no indications that the incident was provoked.
"It's not yet known if this was a female trying to protect her pups, or an aggressive male protecting territory,” said Myers.
River otters are said to be semi-aquatic animals that usually reside along river banks and feed on hunting fish underwater. These animals are muscular and an adult one can weigh around 11 to 30 pounds. They have sharp claws and teeth, and are carnivorous, being related to the likes of weasels and wolverines.
Though river otters are not usually common in said area, wildlife authorities posted signages warning the public to beware of the animal.
