'Crazy' otter might have bit off too much

Over the past month, Marineland resident Denise Kleiner has spent at least six hours a day boating along the Braden River.

She has seen plenty of birds, turtles, alligators and other wildlife.

But what she has not seen lately are otters — particularly, any “crazy” otters.

An otter in the Braden River attacked at least four people on kayaks March 3-4. The first was a 77-year-old woman on a tour of the river.

About a mile upstream from Linger Lodge, the animal climbed onto her kayak, shredded her hat and then began attacking her, biting her arms, nose and ear, according to reports.

Another woman on the tour was scratched on the arm. Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission reported two other attacks on kayakers the same weekend, but about two miles away.

All were minor injuries.

FWC spokeswoman Melody Kilborn said FWC law enforcement was dispatched to the area for active patrols where the incidents occurred from March 5-10.

“This included having officers on the water to actively search for the otter and talking with the public to see if anyone saw any otters recently,” Kilborn said.

FWC also placed flyers around Linger Lodge and Jiggs Landing, warning the public about an aggressive otter in the area.

“While we are unable to confirm that the aggressive otter is gone, we have not received any additional sightings of the otter since March 4,” Kilborn said. “The otter was involved in an incident where it attacked an alligator shortly after the last attack on March 4 and witnesses indicated that the otter was injured during that incident. The otter may have succumbed to its injuries from this alligator-related incident.

“Otter attacks on people are extremely rare,” she said. “Otters can be found on freshwater bodies in Florida and typically do not interact with people. We encourage people to be aware of their surroundings at all times and to not approach otters or other wildlife, not feed otters or other wildlife, and to keep all pets on a leash and supervised.”

Kilborn said the aggressive behavior displayed by the otter could be a sign of rabies, or due to an otter’s territorial nature during breeding season, among other reasons. The behavior also can result from being fed by humans, but the FWC has no reason to believe that occurred in this situation.

Because the otter was not captured by the FWC, it could not be tested for rabies. Tom Iovino, communications director for the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County, said individuals attacked by animals can be proactively treated for rabies. However because of privacy regulations, he declined to say whether any of the kayakers injured by the otter were treated for rabies.

The incidents left the public uneasy about being on the river, but things seem to be returning to normal.

“We had plenty of people kayaking this weekend,” said Ruth Hofer, asset manager for Linger Lodge. “I would not be scared. We’ve even had people on paddle boards. Every day we have kayakers coming in. None of them reported seeing otters. Usually, they report if they see something.”

She has asked FWC about taking the otter warning signs down, and got permission to do so March 24.

Don Collison, who runs the concession area and cabin rentals at Jiggs Landing, reported the same — no more otter sightings in at least two weeks.

Kleiner, who offers boat tours of the river through her business Florida Boat Tours, believes the “crazy” otter is gone.

“I’ve been on the river every day for six to eight hours a day, and I have not seen any otters,” Kleiner said.

She said she hopes the public will return to its normal usage of the river, enjoying its plethora of fish, wildlife and beauty.