Otter attack at recreation complex sends victim to hospital, Florida cops say

Alligators and panthers are Florida’s apex predators, but it’s an otter that put someone in a hospital after an attack in Seminole County, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

It happened Thursday, May 29, at Wekiva Island, a recreational boating complex along the Wekiva River in Longwood, near Orlando.

The female victim, who was not identified, reported being bitten during the encounter, officials said.

“The individual was evaluated by Wekiva Island Fire and Rescue and transported to a local hospital for treatment,” FWC officials said in a news release.

“The FWC officer, in coordination with Wekiva Island management, searched for the otter but was unable to locate it. There have been no further sightings of the otter.”

Details of how the attack occurred and the victim’s injuries were not released.

River otters are native to Florida’s rivers, creeks, lakes and swamps, and they are known for playful antics that include “splish-splashing and slipping and sliding all around the rivers and riverbanks,” according to Forest Preserve District Wilcox.

However, they can be dangerous, too, including “sophisticated skulls, jaws, and teeth” and a bite that is potentially infectious, AZ Animals reports.

A rabid river otter “aggressively attacked” a Florida man in September 2023 as he fed ducks in a Palm Beach County pond, according to McClatchy News.

Joseph Scaglione reported the otter began stalking him, then “quickly pounced, making him trip and fall over,” CBS News reported. “The otter bit him on his legs, hands, and arms 41 times,” according to the station.

Longwood is about a 15-mile drive northeast from downtown Orlando.

This story was originally published June 3, 2025 at 2:01 PM with the headline "Otter attack at recreation complex sends victim to hospital, Florida cops say."