A woman in Malaysia was taken to hospital after being chased and attacked by a bevy of angry otters.
Onlookers witnessed the woman being relentlessly pursued by the animals in West Coast Park on Friday (July 22).
At least one of the furious creatures was understood to have caught up with the runner and bit her on the leg.
It has been claimed that the woman trod on an otter pup by accident while she was on a run.
Lu Xiu Feng – who was able to capture the incident on video - told Shin Min Daily News: “I believe that the otters were aggravated after the woman accidentally stepped on one of their pups.
“People were too afraid to go near the otters. I did not see the otters biting the woman, but they started running towards us so we had to flee.
“We were not able to help the woman. The otter's teeth were very sharp, it's no joke.”
The woman was taken to a local hospital, but no medical update was given.
The incident prompted the local National Parks Board to warn locals not to touch, chase or corner the animals as such behaviour could scare them.
The board also urged people not to talk loudly in the otters' vicinity or use flash photography as this could risk frightening and provoking them. They also warned about having other animals near them.
A spokesman said: “Keep dogs on a tight leash to prevent them from chasing and frightening otters.”
Woo Chee Yoon, an expert from the Malaysian Nature Society, was quoted in the Daily Star saying: “These are wild animals, and wild animals always prefer the wild, but when such an option is no longer available, they have to settle within urban environments.
“Some species of animals adapt well, but many don’t, and thus perish under urbanisation pressure. They are likely displaced, and have found refuge in the lake. But their origin is hard to confirm.”
