Otter Attacks 3 Women On Jefferson River In Montana

This attack seemed to come from otter space. This past Wednesday, an otter attacked three women who were floating on inner tubes on the Jefferson River in Montana, according to an August 3 Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) press release. This wasn’t a verbal attack. The otter didn’t hold a press conference and begin making up nicknames for them. Instead, it was a physical attack that left all three women injured and requiring treatment in nearby Bozeman, Montana. In fact, one was so badly injured that she had to get helicopter-lifted.

The attack had occurred soon after the women had observed one or two otters three miles upstream from Sappington Bridge. One otter then reportedly approached them. Soon thereafter otter chaos ensued. After the three women were injured and had fled the water, the otter left the scene and swam away. The women then called 911, which resulted in the Montana Highway Patrol, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson Valley Ambulance, the FWP, Life Flight and a local landowner responding.

Now, it’s not every day that you hear of an otter attack. Otter attacks in general are rare, regardless the species of otter. You may have heard that otter recent story about the five-year-old female sea otter, dubbed Otter 841, in Santa Cruz, California, that’s been stealing people’s surfboards. As you can see by the fact that these incidents have occurred by and in the sea, this sea otter is of a different species from the river otter in Montana. Regardless, such aggressive behavior is otterly unusual. It’s not as if anytime anything is missing, you should say, “OK, which otter took it now?” The 411 on Otter 841 is that this sea otter had spent time in Monterey Bay Aquarium and had at some point had lost her natural fear of humans.

It’s not completely clear why the river otter had attacked the women on the Jefferson River. While authorities got the story from the women, no one really heard from the otter side so to speak. This may have been a baby, baby thing as otters can be very protective of their young. Since such otters do tend to give birth in April, Summer can be a time when they swim around with their young. The other things otters may be protective of is food. Anyone who’s been to chicken wing night knows that in general animals can get quite fierce around food, especially when food resources get quite scarce.

So it’s best to always give otters their space. And not just psychological space but physical space as well. While they may seem cute and cuddly, otters in the wild are still after all wildlife. They are not like live stuffed animals. They can view you as a threat and move with surprising speed and strength. Therefore, it’s a good idea to maintain at least a 50 foot distance from wild otters at all times. In this case, 50 feet means 50 times 12-inches and not 25 pairs of otter feet.

If an otter does turn and faces you, don’t assume that the otter has Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” in its mind and is thinking, “At long last, someone I resonate with.” Rather, the otter could be feeling stressed and sizing you up as a threat. The otter may even be facing what it perceives to be the enemy and preparing to attack So in such situations, don’t look to go the otter way. Instead, immediately stop, keep your distance, and consider backing away.

Should an otter attack you, this is not the time to play dead or turn the otter cheek. Don’t try to reason with the otter or figure out his or her motivation either. Rather, fight back so that you can get away as soon as possible. And once you are safely away from the otter, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Even if you feel fine, don’t just shake it off, in the words of Taylor Swift. You want to make sure that you don’t have any hidden injuries. Plus, you never know what types of microbes a wild animal may be carrying. For example, river otters can have a wide range of infectious diseases including Salmonellosis, tuberculosis, brucellosis, leptosporosis, dermatomycosis, coccidiodomycosis, and toxoplasmosis. They can also carry parasites such as nematodes, cestodes, trematodes, and giardia as well as insects such as ticks, sucking lice and fleas.

This may just be a rare isolated occurrence. There’s been no indication that this is part of a larger otter plot against humanity. The FWP did indicate in their press release, “No further management action is planned at this time.” In other words, no otter action will occur.