Vicious otter attack leaves jogger in hospital, park closed

In Alfred Hitchcock's famous horror film, birds turned against humans. In Malaysia, there was a similarly terrifying role reversal, but the culprits did not come from the air but from the water and moved on four legs.

Tanjung Aru Perdana Park is a green recreational area in Kota Kinabalu, a city in eastern Malaysia. Running paths intersect with bike routes, all surrounded by lush vegetation and an ocean view. Sounds like paradise? Nothing could be further from the truth. The place is the territory of a very dangerous gang. Its members are otters.

There's no mistake; don't rub your eyes in disbelief. The otter gang attacked Mariasella Harun, a young Malaysian woman who was jogging in Tanjung Aru Perdana Park early in the morning. Suddenly, eight enraged otters blocked her path. The woman initially ignored them, mistaking the animals for cats. Moments later, she had to fight for her life as the otters furiously attacked her.

Photos from the scene look extremely gruesome. At least as if Mariasella had fallen victim to a knife-wielding assailant, not small, theoretically harmless creatures. After fending off the attack, the woman sat on the kerb and waited for rescue services. Wounds were visible on her head, hands, and legs. Her life is not in danger, but she will certainly be left with trauma. Wildlife specialists are dealing with the case, tasked with monitoring the behaviour of the "gang".

The mayor of the Malaysian city took the matter seriously and announced the park's closure until further notice. The incident was the first recorded otter attack on a human in the area. Local authorities plan to reinforce the park's fencing to limit animal movement and appeal to walkers to avoid contact with wild animals.

The probable explanation for the incident is that the otters were hungry and looking for food. Contact with the jogger made them feel additionally threatened and provoked them to attack.