A North Carolina woman went to a park to support friends running a marathon and instead ended up in the emergency room after a highly unusual wildlife encounter.
At C.M. Herndon Park in Durham, Wilmington resident Erin Hogston said an otter attacked her as she stood near a trail, as WECT reported.
What happened?
While Hogston was there to watch friends in the Tobacco Road Marathon, the attack occurred. Durham Animal Control later said early reports were wrong to place it in Cary and confirmed the incident happened in Durham, according to the station.
As she waited for her friends to pass, Hogston said she suddenly heard something behind her.
"At first I was like 'this is a bear,'" Hogston recalled to WECT. "It sounded huge, I was like 'oh God, I need to get away.'"
She caught sight of what looked like a large dark animal and ran. After falling, she noticed a bite on her ankle, and a runner who saw what happened told her it was an otter.
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Hogston started rabies treatment with six shots and expected additional visits, she told the station, adding that the care had already cost her thousands of dollars.
Wildlife officials said this kind of attack is extremely uncommon. WECT reported that records show only 59 otter attacks worldwide dating back to 1875. By comparison, National Weather Service data shows about 20 lightning deaths each year in the U.S.
Why does it matter?
In this case, a public park trail was also part of a major race route, bringing a large amount of human activity close to habitat used by wild animals. Still, it was a freak accident for an otter to behave this way, according to N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission biologist Falyn Owens.
"Otters, as a general rule, are not aggressive around humans," Owens told WECT. "Most people enjoy having them around, so a situation like this is extremely unusual."
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Officials say the unusual behavior could be a result of rabies or the animal believing it was being threatened. To Hogston, the episode revealed that going out on the trail carries uncertain risks.
"Be aware of your surroundings," she advised the station. "You never know what's going to be out on these trails."
What's being done?
Local authorities have stepped in to confirm the location of the attack and remind residents how to respond to suspicious wildlife behavior. Health officials are also emphasizing prevention, including avoiding unfamiliar animals and keeping pets current on rabies vaccinations.
The aftermath for Hogston has included repeated medical visits, rabies shots and major out-of-pocket costs.
That the attack was such an unlikely event is of little solace to Hogston now.
"Everybody was like, 'Wow, we thought they were nice, we thought they were cute,'" she told WECT. "I don't know, I don't see anything cute about otters, especially now."
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