A woman who was jogging at Perdana Park in Sabah, Malaysia, was suddenly attacked by a group of otters. Authorities said the incident left the woman unable to stand.
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The attack occurred shortly after Mariasella Harun entered the park around 6:10 AM on Wednesday. She stated, “Suddenly, I saw something emerging from the drain next to the Kinabalu Golf Club. 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.” According to The Standard, photos circulated on social media showed Harun sitting on the curb, looking distressed and bleeding from her injuries.
CCTV footage captured the otters entering the area just moments before the attack. Two other joggers who tried to help Harun were also injured in the attack, making it an unusually aggressive encounter with wildlife in the park. This incident was also noted as the first recorded otter attack on a human in the region.
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Harun was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment, and local park officials were stunned by the event since otters are usually reclusive. Roland Niun, director of the Sabah Wildlife Department, released a statement on the incident and said otters generally avoid humans.
“Otters generally avoid humans, and their perceived cuteness might lead some to mistakenly believe they are friendly and tame. 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.”
Niun suggested that the otters involved in the attack—a family consisting of six adults and two cubs known to frequent the park—might have perceived Harun as a threat to their young, prompting a defensive response. These otters are typically seen hunting for fish in the park’s lake during the morning and evening and are not known to linger in the busy family areas.
