Woman Loses Nearly Half Her Ear After Being Viciously Attacked By Otter While Tubing

Otters have a reputation for being cute, playful animals that are often the star attraction at many zoos. But in reality, these mammals are carnivorous apex predators that are capable of becoming aggressive to humans if they feel that their food resources or young are being threatened.

One Montana woman learned this lesson at the near risk of her life, narrowly escaping the ordeal with hundreds of stitches and almost half of her right ear chewed off.

Jen Royce of Bozeman, MT was celebrating her birthday earlier this month by tubing along the Jefferson River with two friends, when just after 8:00 p.m. they were brutally attacked by an otter. In a Facebook post, Royce writes that just before the attack, they were floating in the middle of the river at a wide stretch, far from the shore, which left them even more vulnerable.

"I saw one otter right behind my friend before it attacked," Royce explained. "I didn’t even have a chance to get the words 'there is an otter behind you' out of me before it attacked her."

"This thing was vicious and relentless. It bit my face in several places, both of my ears, by arms, my hands, my legs, my thighs, and my ankle," she continued. "My friends were bit on the hands and on their bottoms. One friend’s thumb was SHREDDED and she has bite marks all over her body as well."

Because the group was in the middle of the river they were essentially "helpless," having to tread water while also attempting to fend off the creature. She says that every time she'd try to kick it away it would rebound to bite her somewhere else. "Once I had my feet under me I was able to fight back better and was eventually able to pull myself out of the river," she wrote. "It swam away after that."

Because of their remote location, it took nearly an hour for emergency crews to rescue the group while they waited cold, wet, and bleeding. Royce was airlifted by helicopter to a nearby hospital and her friends were treated for their injuries at the scene and brought to the emergency room for further treatment. All three were given rabies vaccines, as otters are susceptible to carrying the disease.

Around 5:00 a.m. the following morning, Royce underwent what was supposed to be a two-hour surgery that lasted for nearly five. She included photos of the aftermath of her ordeal in her post, but a warning—they are not for the faint of heart.

"I have more stitches in my body than I can count," she added. "Besides my face, I have puncture wounds to my left ankle, both legs, back of my right thigh, both arms, both hands, and all fingers. My left ear is split in half from the top to the bottom and is being held together with some kind of yellow bandage and stitches on both sides. I have lost almost half of my right ear. But I am lucky, and I am grateful, and I am alive."

According to one wildlife removal website, otters can grow up to four feet long and weigh up to 30 pounds. "If an otter feels threatened, its heavy, muscular body and sharp claws are enough to overpower pets and small children." That goes for adults, as well, apparently.

A friend of Royce's family has since organized a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for her mounting medical bills while she continues to recover from her injuries.