Pack of Wild Otters Attacks Unsuspecting Jogger, Leaving Her Wounded

Otters may appear cute and cuddly, as anyone who has ever enjoyed watching their playful antics at any zoo can surely attest. However, they are carnivorous mammals with powerful teeth and jaws capable of cracking open shellfish. Unfortunately, a woman jogging in a city park in Malaysia experienced that the hard way when she was chased and savagely attacked by a pack of about eight wild otters early Wednesday morning. 

The incident occurred in the Tanjung Aru sub-district of Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, when the woman, 40-year-old Mariasella Harun had been jogging on a track adjacent to a state library, residential area, and a golf course just after 6 a.m.

“Suddenly, I saw something emerging from the drain next to [Kinabalu Golf Club], Harun told local media, via The Telegraph. "At first, I thought it was a cat, but the creature jumped out and bit me while I was running, and there were many of them. I could not even stand up when it happened."

She recalled that the ordeal lasted approximately five to 10 minutes, during which two other joggers attempted to help her, but were also attacked. In photos and video that surfaced on social media, Harun could be seen with bloody injuries covering her entire body. She was then transported to the local Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment.

A gang of wild RAMPAGING otters has attacked a woman in a park in Sabah, Malaysia. Please be careful, placate with fish. pic.twitter.com/OwEd6H94Af

— Stone Age Herbalist (@Paracelsus1092) September 11, 2024

The recreational area is known for having a family of otters living in it, with at least six adults and two cubs that frequent the lake to hunt for fish. However, the otters tend to visit the park in the early mornings and evenings and not when humans are present.

Roland Niun, director of the Sabah Wildlife Department, said that the incident marks the first attack on a human in the area, though there has been a recent uptick of otter attacks across Southeast Asia in general, wildlife officials say.

"We received reports of the incident and were informed that the otters had entered through a damaged part of the gate, which has now been repaired," Niun explained. "They inhabit the surrounding areas with abundant water sources—swamps, drains, and ditches."

"Otters generally avoid humans, and their perceived cuteness might lead some to mistakenly believe they are friendly and tame," he continued, noting that people should not to feed or approach the animals. "Although there are reports of otters being domesticated in other parts of the state, it is not advisable to approach them, as they can bite when provoked."

"In this case, the family of otters might have seen the victim as a threat to their cubs and reacted defensively," he added.

Last year, a woman tubing along the Jefferson River in Montana narrowly escaped an otter attack, but survived the incident with extensive injuries and nearly half of her right ear chewed off.

"This thing was vicious and relentless. It bit my face in several places, both of my ears, by arms, my hands, my legs, my thighs, and my ankle," said the victim, Jen Royce of Bozeman, MT. "My friends were bit on the hands and on their bottoms. One friend’s thumb was SHREDDED and she has bite marks all over her body as well."

Otters can grow up to four feet long and weigh up to 30 pounds. When they feel that their food resources or young are being threatened, the animal's heavy, muscular body and sharp claws are enough to overpower pets and humans.