Otters Attack at Marina: What Went Wrong?

Bremerton Marina, Kitsap County, USASun Oct 06 2024
Last month, something unusual happened at Bremerton Marina in Washington state. An otter, which is normally shy around people, suddenly attacked a family walking on the dock. The scary incident was caught on camera by KIRO 7 News in Seattle. The boy and his mom were enjoying their morning walk when the otter pounced. It dragged the youngster into the water and also went after the mom. Luckily, they both escaped with only bites and scratches. The video shows them running away from the otter, which then hops back onto the dock. Why did this happen? Otters usually avoid humans. Some experts think that if an animal starts acting strangely, it might be sick or injured. In this case, wildlife officials trapped and killed the otter to test for rabies. This wasn't the only otter attack recently. A woman in Malaysia was mauled by eight otters while jogging. These incidents remind us that even cute animals can be dangerous if they feel threatened or are not acting normally.
https://localnews.ai/article/otters-attack-at-marina-what-went-wrong-8cbd157a

questions

    How can public safety guidelines be updated to better protect people in potential wild animal encounters?
    What might have caused this otter to behave so aggressively towards humans?
    Are there any known factors that could increase the likelihood of otter attacks on people?

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