A wild encounter went down at Bremerton Marina when a river otter yanked a kid right into the water during a walk on the dock, according to a press release by the Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife. The child’s mom acted fast, pulling them out while the otter kept attacking, even biting her in the process. Thankfully, both mom and kid only ended up with some scratches and bites, and the little one got treated at the hospital.
Fish and Wildlife officers later trapped the otter and are checking it for rabies. River otters are common in Washington, but incidents like this are rare. Still, they can get territorial, so it’s always good to stay alert around wildlife. If it can happen in Washington, it can happen in Montana!