Story Archive

It Isn’t Just Gators Anymore

Marsha Wikle was leading a kayaking excursion in a quiet section of the Braden River in Manatee County, Fla., when they spotted some wildlife. “I thought, ‘Oh this is a cute otter’,” Sue Spector said, “and all of the sudden he jumped on the back of the kayak and lunged at me.” Spector and another woman were bitten, and their kayak tipped over in the struggle. Once they got out of the water, the chase began. “We took off as fast as we could,” Spector said. “The otter followed us but didn’t attack again.” The group tried to paddle back to their launch point but encountered the river otter again. “This is one renegade otter,” Wikle said. “The women in the back of the group saw him and yelled ‘he’s back’ and we just paddled like hell to get back to the launch.” The group escaped, but the two women who were bitten were treated for injuries — and for rabies. (MS/Tampa Bay Times) ...What an otter nightmare.