Otters attack surfers – and then stand on the board themselves

California
Aggressive otter attacks surfer – then gets on board himself

An otter riding the waves on a surfboard – these funny scenes are currently spreading on the internet. Because of its aggressive behavior, however, the animal has now become a problem.

Photographer Mark Woodward was standing on the Santa Cruz coast snapping pictures of a surfing event when an otter suddenly emerged from the water. The animal snatched the board from one of the surfers and “then caught a couple of solo waves,” the photographer told the Los Angeles Times. Since the event in mid-June, the photographer has witnessed three other incidents in which the otter attacked people on surfboards. Many more have been brought to him from stories. The photos that Woodward took and shared on Twitter, among others, went viral. Because it looks cute. But the impression is deceptive: the animal is becoming increasingly aggressive, says the photographer. So aggressive that several authorities and experts have now intervened.

Aggressive otter scares surfers off the board

When it comes to attacks, the marine mammal seems to be more interested in the board than humans. Joon Lee, a 40-year-old software developer, was still scared when he encountered the animal. As he tells the Los Angeles Times, he was surfing next to another, peaceful otter most of the time when the troublemaker appeared out of nowhere and first targeted another surfer. The otter then swam towards Lee and immediately bit the line that connects the ankle to the surfboard. The animal then jumped onto the board and tried to bite into it. The software developer couldn’t shake off the otter, but manages to drag himself to shore.

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In most cases, the surfers left their boards in the water, allowing the otter to roost undisturbed on the boards. “It’s a bit scary. They seem so cute, but these animals are predators,” photographer Woodward told the “Los Angeles Times“. Otters can grow to be around 1.5 meters tall and weigh up to 45 kilos. With their powerful jaws they can crack the shells of crabs, mussels and sea urchins – and chew wood. One of the now numerous recordings of the animal shows how the otter tirelessly gnaws on a board whose owner he had just scared away.

Wildlife authorities and experts have no explanation for the marine mammal’s behavior. As incidents mount — which were initially viewed with amusement — federal and state wildlife agencies have decided they must remove the young otter from the wild before it harms anyone — or themselves. They work with the Monterey Bay Aquarium. There the animal will be observed and examined before it gets a new, long-term home. The behavior of the animal is “very unusual and rare,” said Jessica Fujii, scientific and operational director of the Los Angeles Times sea otter program.

Even the mother was a problem animal

Similar cases have occurred more frequently over the past few decades, “but the consistency and pattern of this particular otter is quite unique.” The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tells the “Guardians“that this type of aggressive behavior in female sea otters could be related to hormonal fluctuations or human feeding. In said animal, the predisposition seems to run in the family. The mother of the problem otter has become conspicuous in a similar way – by her had fed on kayaks. After she was caught, it was found that she was pregnant, reports the “Los Angeles Times. The offspring were raised as far as possible without contact with people. When the cub was released into the wild, it was With a blue mark on the webbed toes of his left foot, the otter hasn’t caused any problems until recently and has stayed away from humans, making his sudden hunger for surfboards all the more surprising.

On Tuesday, the Fish and Wildlife Service put up signs along the coast warning of the animal. “While there have been no confirmed reports of injuries, kayakers, surfers and others in the area should avoid approaching the animal due to this otter’s highly unusual behavior,” the statement said. Although the marine mammal “puts people and animals in danger”, according to the authority, it is a hit on the net. People joke that the otter is reclaiming its habitat. Before the fur trade nearly wiped them out in the 17th and 18th centuries, the animals once inhabited the waters of North America from Alaska to Baja California. Today, the otter occupies only 13 percent of its historical range. According to Jessica Fujii, around 3,000 sea otters live off the coast of California – most of them are peaceful.

Sources: “Los Angeles Times“, “The Guardians“