A British expat feared he would die after being bitten 26 times on his legs, ankle and buttocks by about 20 rampaging otters in Singapore.
Graham George Spencer was visiting the Singapore Botanic Gardens when the animals lunged at him.
Spencer, who is in his 60s, told The Strait Times that some of his injuries required stitches.
He had been on a morning walk with a friend on November 30 when he saw about 20 otters crossing a path a few metres in front of him while approaching the entrance to the garden.
All of a sudden they “went crazy” after another parkgoer ran towards the pair. The jogger managed to swerve out of reach, but the otters then headed towards Spencer, biting his ankles and causing him to fall down.
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The otters then bit on his legs, buttocks and even his finger.
“I actually thought I was going to die — they were going to kill me,” Spencer, who owns a maid agency, said.
The attack only stopped when his friend shouted at the animals, causing them to briefly pause. With Spencer bleeding from multiple wounds, the pair dashed for help to a nearby visitor centre, while the otters chased them.
He told the local website Today: “I was bitten 26 times in ten seconds. It it wasn’t for my friend, I don’t think I’d still be here. I’d be dead.”
He was treated at Gleneagles Hospital, where he received tetanus shots and antibiotics. The bitemarks have made it difficult for him to sit comfortably and could affect his plans to visit family in the UK for Christmas, he said.
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Spencer warned park visitors to stay clear of the otters “because this will happen again”. Their numbers have increased in the past couple of years, to the delight of some and annoyance of others.
Tan Puay Yok, group director of the gardens, said such attacks were rare and advised visitors against feeding the otters, particularly “when there are pups as the adults can be protective over their young”.