A woman from Wilmington claims she was
attacked by an otter in Cary.
Erin Hogston told WECT News the
attack happened on Sunday while she was watching her friends run a marathon.
“I just wanted
to cheer them on, I got up really early,” she said to WECT News.
Hogston says she was on the side of
a trail waiting for her friends to come through when she heard rustling behind
her. That is when she said all she saw was a big black animal, so she took off
running.
Next thing she knew, after being
scraped up from falling, she saw a bite mark on her ankle. One of the runners
who saw the whole thing told her it was an otter.
“Everybody was like, ‘wow, we
thought they were nice, we thought they were cute.’ I don’t know, I don’t see
anything cute about otters, especially now,” Hogston said.
Attacks like
this are extremely rare. There have been only 59 documented otter attacks
worldwide since 1875. For comparison, an estimated 20 people on average die
each year after being struck by lightning in the U.S., according to the
National Weather Service.
Wildlife
officials say an attack could happen for various reasons, including the otter
having rabies or acting in self-defense. There has been only one other
documented otter attack on record in North Carolina, which occurred within the
last few years.
Hogston says she had to get six rabies
shots after it happened and has to continue to go back for more, costing her
thousands of dollars, but she’s glad it wasn’t worse.
Anyone who sees unusual animal behavior in Wake County is encouraged to call 919-212-7387. Wake County health officials urge residents to not approach anumals they do not know and should ensure their pets are up to date on their current rabies vaccination.