Rabid otter bites Florida man 41 times, attacks familyâs dog, reports say
A Florida man was attacked by a rabid otter which bit him 41 times, with the animal later attacking a dog walking with its family.
Joseph Scaglione was feeding ducks and geese near his Jupiter, Fla., home last Wednesday when suddenly the fowl all took off.
Scaglione said he noticed a brown head sticking up over the bank of the pond behind his home, but didn’t realize at first it was an otter, according to WPBF in West Palm Beach.
Scaglione said he slowly backed away, toward the gate to his property, but as he started to close the gate, the otter attacked, causing the 74-year-old to stumble and fall.
The otter bit Scaglione 41 times on his legs, hands and arms. The attack lasted several minutes, according to WPTV.
A rabid otter captured by Palm Beach Animal Care and Control after it attacked a man and a dog. The animal has since been euthanized.
Scaglione finally escaped the otter by grabbing it and throwing it away from him, allowing him time to get to safety before seeking medical treatment.
“My pinky is the worst. I have two puncture wounds. I’m not sure if it goes right through or whatever. One is on the corner of where the cuticle was,” Scaglione told the WPBF.
Later that same day, however, a couple in the same neighborhood was walking with their baby and family dog when the same otter attacked the dog, according to Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control.
Other residents were finally able to capture the otter by putting a recycling bin over it. An animal control officer released the otter, then recaptured it with a net and placed it in a carrier, according WPTV. The officer reported the otter was baring its teeth and biting the metal carrier.
By Saturday, testing confirmed the otter was rabid and the animal was euthanized, according to the Florida Department of Health. Rabies attacks the central nervous system and can be fatal to humans and other warm-blooded animals if left untreated.
Scaglione is undergoing treatment for rabies and was scheduled to visit a hand surgeon Tuesday to determine if he suffered any permanent damage.
The condition of the dog attacked by the otter wasn’t immediately known, but WPTV reported a police officer at the scene said the dog was taken by its owner to a local veterinarian.