A little girl is healing after being pulled underwater and injured by a river otter at a marina, Washington state officials announced Thursday.
The toddler and mother were strolling along a dock at Bremerton Marina in Kitsap County on Thursday morning, according to a news release from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The department did not identify either the child or their mother.
According to the child’s mother, the otter took him into the water and dragged him underwater.
After a few moments, the child reappeared, and the mother was able to immediately grab him out of the water.
The mother rescued the youngster, but the otter continued to assault, according to officials. According to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife sergeant Ken Balazs, the infant was scratched and bitten on the top of the head, face, and legs, but only incurred “minor injuries” as a result of the mother’s swift efforts. The child was treated at a nearby hospital.
The otter pursued the family as they fled along the dock, according to the agency.
The department’s officers have asked the United States Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services to “trap and lethally remove” river otters from the marina, officials stated. The department stated that the animals will be assessed and tested for rabies at the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab.
River otters, which are found throughout the state, are territorial and, “like any wildlife, are inherently unpredictable,” according to the agency. Human-river otter encounters are uncommon, according to officials, with only six confirmed cases in the state over the last decade.
River otter assaults can cause significant injury. According to CBS News, a woman in Montana was evacuated to a hospital after being assaulted by a river otter in 2023. Two additional women also need medical attention.
River otters can also be harmful to pets. In Florida, otters bit a man and a dog on the same day in September 2023, according to CBS News.
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