Residents of Mukkom in Kerala, India's Kozhikode district, say fear of otter attacks has driven people away from the Iruvazhinji River, where about 200 bite injuries have been reported.
Here's what to know
Onmanorama reported that in Kozhikode district, people living around Iruvazhinji say the attacks have become so disruptive that the river can no longer be used for everyday needs.
Among the victims were four residents from Kodiyathoor and Chendamangallur. Two of them — Raouf, a resident of Karakkutty, and a migrant worker — were each bitten in three places on their legs.
Residents described serious otter attacks in Kodiyathoor, Kottamoozhi, Edavazhikkadavu, Pudiyottil Kadavu, Karaat, Puthanveettil, and Chalakkal, Onmanorama reported. They said the danger now includes groups of otters reaching the banks, not just the river itself.
The attacks come as animals and people are forced into closer contact, a pattern the BBC explored in a report on why wild animals attack humans.
More background
People living along the river told Onmanorama the attacks began in 2020, suggesting the problem has continued for years.
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In Mukkom, residents say the situation is worsening, with otters appearing in groups near places where people regularly cross or gather along the river.
At Maliyekkal Kadavu, locals reported seeing large numbers of otters come onto land, extending the danger beyond swimmers or people entering the water to anyone approaching the riverbank. Residents who depend on the river can no longer use it.
What's being done?
According to Onmanorama, scientists from the Kerala Forest Research Institute visited the area to study the attacks and suggest next steps. Dr. P. Balakrishnan and Dr. P. Rajan of the institute led the inspection of the river crossings.
The Forest Department's Rapid Response Team installed cages at the affected crossings, but the effort failed.
Local self-government institutions and groups, including Ente Swantham Iruvazhinji Kootayma, have submitted complaints and petitions to officials, per Onmanorama.
Where can I learn more?
Similar incidents elsewhere show how quickly wildlife encounters can turn dangerous when animals and people are forced into the same spaces.
• In Karnataka, the dangerous rise of wildlife encounters has intensified human-animal conflict across communities.
• Across the Chesapeake region, river otters are back in urban waterways from Baltimore to Norfolk.
• In North Carolina, a series of concerning animal incidents prompted warnings after fox bites.
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