A woman’s routine morning jog in Sabah, Malaysia, took a terrifying turn when a gang of otters attacked her. Mariasella Harun was running through Tanjung Aru Recreation Park at 6 a.m. on Wednesday when she was reportedly surrounded by eight otters aggressively searching for food. At first glance, Harun mistook the group of otters for cats and continued her run. The water weasel octet then attacked her and fled the scene on foot.
Graphic footage from the incident shows Harun sitting on a curb in distress with wounds on her legs, arms and head. She was transported to a hospital for treatment, and local wildlife teams were deployed to monitor the otters’ activity in the area.
The teams found the otters likely entered the park to forage, and their altered behaviour could have been triggered by human interaction, such as feeding in the park’s pond. According to the Malaysian Wildlife Authority, this is the first reported attack by these creatures in the city. They plan to reinforce the park’s fence to prevent future attacks, urging visitors to avoid contact with the animals and maintain a safe distance from wildlife.
On Thursday, the mayor of the city of Sabah announced the closure of the park until further notice. While attacks of this nature are rare, the public has been advised to be cautious and refrain from feeding wild animals. The animals, related to wolverines and honey badgers, can display aggressive tendencies when provoked or threatened. Officials plan to monitor the park over the next week to mitigate the risk of future encounters with the otters.
