A woman was severely injured when a not-so-cute otter attacked her as she tubed on a river recently near Bozeman, Montana.
As Jen Royce and two of her friends floated down the Jefferson River, the otter caught them off guard and its behavior was terrifying, the New York Post reported Sunday.
Royce noticed one of the animals behind her friend just before it jumped the individual. However, she noted, “I didn’t even have a chance to get the words ‘there is an otter behind you’ out of me before it attacked her.”
Royce described the creature as “vicious and relentless” when it set its sights on her, biting her in the face, ears, arms, hands, legs, thighs, and ankle.
Her companions were bitten on their hands and rear ends, and one person’s thumb was “shredded” in the sudden altercation.
In a social media post describing the harrowing experience, Royce said, “Being in the middle of the river meant I couldn’t reach the bottom with my feet, so I was trying to tread water while fending for my body.”
She continued:
The water was definitely where they excelled in their attack and we were helpless. I tried to kick it away but I would just get attacked somewhere else. I tried to hold it back at one point by grabbing its arm to hold it away while trying to swim closer to shore. 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. It swam away after that.
One of them eventually pulled out a cellphone to call for help. After some difficulty in locating them, crews found the group.
At the same time, Royce was feeling light-headed and feared if she closed her eyes, she would pass out and never wake again. She was quickly air-lifted to a hospital where doctors performed emergency surgery.
Otter attacks on humans do not happen very often, officials say, but the creatures can exhibit defensive and protective behavior, according to NBC Montana:
In another post, Royce shared images of herself in recovery, while also expressing her gratitude to those who have helped the process along.
“We’ve had so much help from friends, neighbors, and complete strangers. We’ve had folks manicure our lawn and bring meals and help with groceries,” she wrote:
“A sweet neighbor even brought me homemade birthday cake! Flowers, care packages, and notes of ‘Get Well Soon’ arrive daily. We are so very grateful for the Meal Train and GoFundMe that were set up on our behalf. My family and I are extremely blessed,” Royce added.
Although she lost nearly half of her ear, she is grateful to have lived through the ordeal.
As of Monday afternoon, a GoFundMe page for the Royce family has raised $7,922 of its $12,000 goal.