"They travel over a wide area, and apparently there are no exclusive territories," Fish and Game said. "Fighting among otters is extremely rare, although they are wary of strange individuals."
Otters have always seemed like docile creatures, but in Alaska appearances can be deceiving as the animals have been attacking people and dogs and it is baffling experts, CBS News reported.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game says river otters have attacked people and pets in some of Anchorage’s most popular outdoor areas.
In early September, a 9-year-old boy was rushed to the hospital and treated for rabies after being bitten by a river otter, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
The child was not the only person this month who was attacked.
"This week, another woman was bitten while rescuing her dog from a similar group of river otters at University Lake," Fish and Game said in a written statement.
The attacks are not limited to people, as CBS reported a dog was bitten at a different area of University Lake, which is a popular dog-walking trail.
It remains unclear if the attacks are from the same group of otters.
While river otter attacks have happened in recent years, they are not common, according to Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Due to this, officials are wondering why it has happened so frequently recently.
“Because of the risk to public safety, efforts will be made to locate this group of river otters and remove them,” Fish and Game said. “Care will be taken to only remove the animals exhibiting these unusual behaviors.”
