Experts are working to locate a group of otters exhibiting aggressive behavior towards people and dogs in Anchorage to remove them.
The clear water lake in the University Lake dog park in Anchorage, Alaska, has posted warning signs about otters, including images and explanations that a group of river otters attacked dogs and bit a person near the lake on September 20. The injured individual was a woman who quickly rushed to save her pet from the aggressive otters. On the same day, they also bit another dog near the lake, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG).
Shape of a river otter. (Photo: Shutterstock)
The trouble with otters in Anchorage began in early September when a 9-year-old boy was bitten multiple times by one of these creatures at East Anchorage Lake. The boy was filming a group of otters when one of them suddenly broke away and charged towards him and his brother. As they ran away, the 9-year-old tripped and was bitten on the leg.
ADFG has urged local residents to exercise caution when near rivers, streams, and creeks following the attacks. This is not the first time river otters have exhibited aggressive behavior towards humans and pets, but such actions are still rare.
Authorities are investigating whether the incidents are related to the same group of otters. David Battle, a biologist at ADFG, believes this is quite likely.
“There seem to always be 4 or 5 otters involved in all the incidents. Given the rarity of this behavior in otters, with the first reported attack occurring in 2019 and this behavior happening multiple times since then, it is very likely that the culprits are a group of otters that have lived together or frequently gathered over a period of time,” Battle said.
Due to the risk to public safety, experts will make efforts to locate the group of river otters and remove them, according to ADFG. This operation will be conducted cautiously to ensure that only those exhibiting abnormal behavior are removed.
Even if ADFG identifies whether the culprits are the same group of otters, tracking them down will not be easy. The reason is that otters do not have fixed territories and can periodically come ashore to move from one body of water to another.
In the event that a group of otters is found exhibiting aggressive behavior towards people and dogs, authorities plan to remove them one by one and test them post-mortem for rabies. ADFG also explained that relocating the group of otters is not feasible as this measure would merely transfer the threat to another location.
