Man hospitalized after otter attack in Orlando

A man was sent to the hospital after a wild encounter with an otter in Orlando Representatives are on the hunt for an aggressive otter who attacked a man before running off nowhere to be determined Although rare attacks from these animals do happen I don t want to let folks have the idea that You know otters are super dangerous noted Megan Stolen a senior scientist at the Blue World Research Institute When Megan learned a person was bitten by an otter at Wekiva Island she says two possibilities came to mind The otter perceives that the person is too close she explained Or because of rabies Rabies is a viral deadly ailment in animals that makes them behave more aggressively than usual The Florida Fish and Wildlife responded to the scene looking for the otter for testing However they were unable to find it I didn t think that they were around this area at all mentioned Jose Vasquez a resident in the area Stolen advises them to keep their distance from these animals a lesson residents in the area plan to listen to Avoiding them just like avoiding other carnivores and coyotes and dogs and bobcats and everything else is just really good advice reported Stolen I feel like you have to respect nature no matter what You understand that this isn t where you re from and you know to tread lightly you know to test the waters of class disclosed Jose Definitely have respect for nature Otters are described as water-loving animals and can be identified throughout Florida FWC suggests adding structures around your home such as sunken trees and cinder blocks to avoid such attacks