otter are often thought of as innocuous and cunning creatures that have even teamed up with human race on social occasion . In Bangladesh , for example , otter have beentrained by fishermento act as Pisces the Fishes herders and corral Pisces into nets .
But the human - otter connection seems constrained in Anchorage , Alaska . That ’s where a radical of river otter has allegedly been perpetuate aseriesof fierce onrush against hoi polloi and dogs , and expert do n’t eff why .
news report of the attacksbeganin September . In one incident , a nine - year - sometime boy was near a duck pond when four otters gave following and burn the minor in his thigh . Two more attacks postdate , include a woman and her heel as well as another heel . Canine attacks by otters were alsoreportedin Anchorage in 2019 .
expert are n’t certain what ’s provoking the otter into this untypically strong-growing deportment , though the fact that a group of four or five otters were spotted at the scene points to one group rather than several different otters being involved .
“ Most otter never exhibit this unassailable a reaction to click or hoi polloi , ” David Battle , a wildlife biologist at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game , tell Live Science . “ By and turgid , they are curious animals , but not typically fast-growing toward people or dogs . It ’s possible there was some sort of incident call for a bounder that led them down this route , after which the otters learned to take fast-growing activity against dogs , but it ’s insufferable to say . ”
One obvious account is rabies , but expert do n’t currently have any evidence that it ’s been communicate in the country . In July , a river ottertested positivefor the disease in Dillingham , Alaska , but the site is 300 miles from Anchorage .
Battle added that it will be hard to try and site the breach otter . If it ’s potential , they ’ll be removed and tested for rabies . In the meanwhile , residents are being ask to apply care around the animals .
[ h / tLive Science ]
