20 times an otter bit the legs, buttocks, and finger of a Briton. On November 30, about 6.40 am Graham George Spencer, 60, strolled around the grounds with a companion.
The Singapore permanent resident told The Straits Times he had observed otters for the first time since starting to stroll around the gardens five months ago.
The animals “went insane” as a jogger approached them. After failing to capture the runner, the otters turned on Spencer.
The otters attacked the Brit’s ankles, knocking him down. They then bit his knees, buttocks, and finger, stopping only when Spencer’s companion screamed and yelled.
Added Spencer: “Someone mistook me for (the runner).
“I felt I was going to die.”
Spencer was treated for tetanus injections, oral antibiotics, and stitches in the visitor center before being sent to the hospital for $1200 worth of therapy over three trips.
Spencer can’t sleep and has trouble sitting after the assault. He’s also unsure whether he’ll be able to come home for Christmas.
And also, the Singapore Botanic Gardens said that the authorities are looking into the event.
Spencer was allegedly assaulted by a family of smooth-coated otters that frequented the Singapore Botanic Gardens in recent years.
Dr. Tan Puay Yok, group director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, advises people to keep a safe distance from animals and not feed or approach them “adults may defend their young when there are pups.”
Otter assaults are unusual since they are normally non-aggressive species.
Angry otter gangs attacked men, children, and pets around creeks, rivers, and lakes in Anchorage, Alaska, earlier this year, and a 77-year-old man and a five-year-old kid were bitten in Singapore in May 2017.
