A woman in Malaysia was left bloodied and traumatised after a gang of otters savaged her while she was on her routine jog. The&nbsp;victim was jogging through&nbsp;Tanjung Aru Recreation Park in Sabah when she was ambushed by at least eight 'not-so-cute' otters.&nbsp;

Mariasella Harun (40) said she tried to fight off the animals for at least five to 10 minutes before other joggers came to her aid. However, she had been badly battered and bruised by the little creatures till then.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Harun said the otters came at her in a pack after jumping out of a drain in the park around 6 am local time.&nbsp;

“Suddenly, I saw something emerging from the drain next to KGC. At first, I thought it was a cart, but the creature jumped out and bit me while I was running, and there were many of them," Harun was quoted as saying by MalayMail.&nbsp;

“At first, I thought it was a cat, but the creature jumped out and bit me while I was running, and there were many of them. I could not even stand up when it happened,” she added.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/otters-dig-through-ice-to-stay-cool-739872">Watch |&nbsp;Otters dig through ice to stay cool</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/otters-dig-through-ice-to-stay-cool-739872/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<h2>Family of otters spotted routinely&nbsp;</h2>

According to authorities, a family of otters, comprising six adults and two cubs, has frequently been spotted in the park where they hunt for fish in the lake.&nbsp;

The wildlife department said although otter sightings are common, it was the first instance when a human was attacked by these animals.&nbsp;

“We received reports of the incident and were informed that the otters had entered through a damaged part of the gate, which has now been repaired,” Roland Niun, director of the Sabah Wildlife Department said.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-resolve-mystery-of-why-otters-stay-warm-in-cold-surroundings-397003">Also read |&nbsp;Scientists resolve mystery of why otters stay warm in cold surroundings</a>

Niun said otters typically visited the park in the morning and evenings and left the area quickly, which is popular among joggers.&nbsp;

“They inhabit the surrounding areas with abundant water sources—swamps, drains, and ditches,” he added.

Despite their cute and cuddly features, otters have teeth and jaws that can easily crack open a shellfish. They can weigh up to 14kg and grow up to four feet, including their tail.&nbsp;

The adoption of otters as household pets has been a growing trend in Southeast Asia, especially in Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A woman in Malaysia was left bloodied and traumatised after a gang of otters savaged her while she was on her routine jog. The victim was jogging through Tanjung Aru Recreation Park in Sabah when she was ambushed by at least eight 'not-so-cute' otters.

A woman in Malaysia was left bloodied and traumatised after a gang of otters savaged her while she was on her routine jog. The victim was jogging through Tanjung Aru Recreation Park in Sabah when she was ambushed by at least eight 'not-so-cute' otters. Mariasella Harun (40) said she tried to fight off the animals for at least five to 10 minutes before other joggers came to her aid. However, she had been badly battered and bruised by the little creatures till then. Harun said the otters came at her in a pack after jumping out of a drain in the park around 6 am local time. “Suddenly, I saw something emerging from the drain next to KGC. At first, I thought it was a cart, but the creature jumped out and bit me while I was running, and there were many of them," Harun was quoted as saying by MalayMail. “At first, I thought it was a cat, but the creature jumped out and bit me while I was running, and there were many of them. I could not even stand up when it happened,” she added. Watch | Otters dig through ice to stay cool × Family of otters spotted routinely According to authorities, a family of otters, comprising six adults and two cubs, has frequently been spotted in the park where they hunt for fish in the lake. The wildlife department said although otter sightings are common, it was the first instance when a human was attacked by these animals. “We received reports of the incident and were informed that the otters had entered through a damaged part of the gate, which has now been repaired,” Roland Niun, director of the Sabah Wildlife Department said. Also read | Scientists resolve mystery of why otters stay warm in cold surroundings Niun said otters typically visited the park in the morning and evenings and left the area quickly, which is popular among joggers. “They inhabit the surrounding areas with abundant water sources—swamps, drains, and ditches,” he added. Despite their cute and cuddly features, otters have teeth and jaws that can easily crack open a shellfish. They can weigh up to 14kg and grow up to four feet, including their tail. The adoption of otters as household pets has been a growing trend in Southeast Asia, especially in Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. (With inputs from agencies)

Not so cute anymore? Gang of otters maul jogger in Malaysian park

Singapore is struggling with its slippery, hungry and angry Otters. Sea Otters raid homes for food and attack people in parks. Watch this report.

WION Climate Tracker: Singapore's slippery, hungry and angry Otters

The Hakone-en aquarium in central Japan's Kanagawa region is facing a very strange situation. The authorities in the aquarium are saying that penguins and otters have become quite picky with their meals. &nbsp;

At this Japanese aquarium, the after-effects of inflation are evident as the penguins and otters are refusing to eat cheap food. It is said that they are not liking the new bargain bites their keepers are now offering after a jump in prices.&nbsp;

Aquarium head Hiroki Shimamoto told news agency AFP: "They take it into their mouths at first, but then they decide they don't like it and drop it".&nbsp;

He added that they are sensing "something is off."&nbsp;

The Hakone-en aquarium has gotten rid of some of its traditional and more expensive horse mackerel. To replace that, they have introduced cheaper mackerel.&nbsp;

But it looks like, some penguins are not happy as the menu change has not been received with universal approval. As mentioned by the aquarium, there have been instances when some of the penguins resolutely turn their beaks up when the mackerel are proffered.&nbsp;

Well, this was about the penguins, the problem is even more serious with the aquarium's otters. Shimamoto said that the otters have uniformly rejected the cheaper fish.&nbsp;

The authorities have revealed that the switch was made after horse mackerel prices rocketed up about 20-30 per cent from last year, in part because of low catches.&nbsp;

Shimamoto concluded that the aquarium is still purchasing some horse mackerel. He added that they have no plans to revert back entirely until prices fall.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

The Hakone-en aquarium in central Japan's Kanagawa region is facing a very strange situation. The authorities in the aquarium are saying that penguins and otters have become quite picky with their meals.

The Hakone-en aquarium in central Japan's Kanagawa region is facing a very strange situation. The authorities in the aquarium are saying that penguins and otters have become quite picky with their meals. At this Japanese aquarium, the after-effects of inflation are evident as the penguins and otters are refusing to eat cheap food. It is said that they are not liking the new bargain bites their keepers are now offering after a jump in prices. Aquarium head Hiroki Shimamoto told news agency AFP: "They take it into their mouths at first, but then they decide they don't like it and drop it". He added that they are sensing "something is off." The Hakone-en aquarium has gotten rid of some of its traditional and more expensive horse mackerel. To replace that, they have introduced cheaper mackerel. But it looks like, some penguins are not happy as the menu change has not been received with universal approval. As mentioned by the aquarium, there have been instances when some of the penguins resolutely turn their beaks up when the mackerel are proffered. Well, this was about the penguins, the problem is even more serious with the aquarium's otters. Shimamoto said that the otters have uniformly rejected the cheaper fish. The authorities have revealed that the switch was made after horse mackerel prices rocketed up about 20-30 per cent from last year, in part because of low catches. Shimamoto concluded that the aquarium is still purchasing some horse mackerel. He added that they have no plans to revert back entirely until prices fall. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Impact of inflation: Penguins and otters in this Japanese aquarium refuse to eat cheaper food

In a noble gesture, police on duty stopped traffic to let a family of otters cross the busy Orchard Road safely at Singapore's presidential palace, Istana. &nbsp;

The incident was caught on camera. The one-minute clip, which was shared on social media, showed the family of up to 16 otters crossing the road, Mothership reported. &nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-worlds-longest-car-the-american-dream-gets-restored-in-us-whats-so-special-461569" hreflang="en">Watch: World's longest car "The American Dream" gets restored in US. What’s so special?</a>

The clip seems to have been shot by a commuter on a double-decker bus. In it, the otters outside the main Istana gate can be seen waiting to cross the road. &nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Our otters 🦦 in Singapore 🇸🇬 are the most awesome… <a href="https://t.co/HBEiGMVmBV">https://t.co/HBEiGMVmBV</a>
— Jordan Dea-Mattson (@jdeamattson) <a href="https://twitter.com/jdeamattson/status/1502778291484127236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

On seeing the otters, the Istana police guards promptly turned the traffic light red to allow the mammals to cross the road. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-vice-president-kamala-harris-faces-flak-for-laughing-on-question-over-ukrainian-refugees-fate-461512" hreflang="en">US Vice-President Kamala Harris faces flak for laughing on question over Ukrainian refugees’ fate</a>

In the video, a guard was also forced to stand in the middle of the road to hold the traffic as some otters were trailing behind. The clip has been widely shared on social media. &nbsp;&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Our otters 🦦 in Singapore 🇸🇬 are the most awesome… <a href="https://t.co/HBEiGMVmBV">https://t.co/HBEiGMVmBV</a>
— Jordan Dea-Mattson (@jdeamattson) <a href="https://twitter.com/jdeamattson/status/1502778291484127236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

In January last year, a family of otters were almost run over by a taxi on the same road. At that time, there were no wardens to regulate vehicles. The otters also made their way across the road in haste, as per the portal. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In a noble gesture, police on duty stopped traffic to let a family of otters cross the busy Orchard Road safely at Singapore's presidential palace, Istana. The incident was caught on camera.

In a noble gesture, police on duty stopped traffic to let a family of otters cross the busy Orchard Road safely at Singapore's presidential palace, Istana. The incident was caught on camera. The one-minute clip, which was shared on social media, showed the family of up to 16 otters crossing the road, Mothership reported. Also Read | Watch: World's longest car "The American Dream" gets restored in US. What’s so special? The clip seems to have been shot by a commuter on a double-decker bus. In it, the otters outside the main Istana gate can be seen waiting to cross the road. Our otters 🦦 in Singapore 🇸🇬 are the most awesome… https://t.co/HBEiGMVmBV — Jordan Dea-Mattson (@jdeamattson) March 12, 2022 × On seeing the otters, the Istana police guards promptly turned the traffic light red to allow the mammals to cross the road. Also Read: US Vice-President Kamala Harris faces flak for laughing on question over Ukrainian refugees’ fate In the video, a guard was also forced to stand in the middle of the road to hold the traffic as some otters were trailing behind. The clip has been widely shared on social media. Our otters 🦦 in Singapore 🇸🇬 are the most awesome… https://t.co/HBEiGMVmBV — Jordan Dea-Mattson (@jdeamattson) March 12, 2022 × In January last year, a family of otters were almost run over by a taxi on the same road. At that time, there were no wardens to regulate vehicles. The otters also made their way across the road in haste, as per the portal. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: Otters get police escort in Singapore to cross road safely

A relatively docile animal, with sparse history of violent behaviour, has caused trauma for a British man who claimed that he was attacked by a “swarm of” otters when he was out for a morning walk in a botanical garden in Singapore.

Graham George Spencer, a British citizen living in Singapore, told The Straits Times newspaper that he was chased, pinned down and bitten “26 times in 10 seconds” by a family of 20 otters.

“I actually thought I was going to die,” said Spencer, who lives in Singapore and is reportedly in his sixties.

He claimed that the animals were provoked by a runner, who may not have spotted them as it was still early morning.

“Because it was very dark, he never saw them. And he just ran straight into them. And he was treading on them," Spencer told a local outlet, Mothership.sg.

Spencer said the otters bit his ankles and he fell to the ground. They then started biting his legs and buttocks, and one bit his finger as he put his hands up to shield his face.

His friend managed to ward the creatures off by screaming at them, he said. The pair were then chased by the otters as they tried to seek help from a visitors' centre.

Spencer said that he needed stitches for some of his 26 wounds and was given a tetanus injection and antibiotics.

Staff at the park where Spencer was attacked told him that the incident is “under investigation”, he said.

The island is believed to be home to 10 families of otters, or about 90 in total, according to reports.

Although they seem benign, they do have a history of attacking people. As recently as May, a 77-year-old man was reportedly bitten by an otter on the leg while exercising near the Kallang River in Singapore.

According to the Washington Post, river otters were once driven away by pollution in the 1970s, but have since returned as the country’s waterways have been cleaned up in recent years.

The animals are common sights in hospital lobbies and condominium pools, and have even been seen drinking from public fountains.

(With inputs from agencies)

A relatively docile animal, with sparse history of violent behaviour, has caused trauma for a British man who claimed that he was attacked by a “swarm of” otters when he was out for a morning walk in a botanical garden in Singapore.

A relatively docile animal, with sparse history of violent behaviour, has caused trauma for a British man who claimed that he was attacked by a “swarm of” otters when he was out for a morning walk in a botanical garden in Singapore. Graham George Spencer, a British citizen living in Singapore, told The Straits Times newspaper that he was chased, pinned down and bitten “26 times in 10 seconds” by a family of 20 otters. “I actually thought I was going to die,” said Spencer, who lives in Singapore and is reportedly in his sixties. He claimed that the animals were provoked by a runner, who may not have spotted them as it was still early morning. “Because it was very dark, he never saw them. And he just ran straight into them. And he was treading on them," Spencer told a local outlet, Mothership.sg. Spencer said the otters bit his ankles and he fell to the ground. They then started biting his legs and buttocks, and one bit his finger as he put his hands up to shield his face. His friend managed to ward the creatures off by screaming at them, he said. The pair were then chased by the otters as they tried to seek help from a visitors' centre. Spencer said that he needed stitches for some of his 26 wounds and was given a tetanus injection and antibiotics. Staff at the park where Spencer was attacked told him that the incident is “under investigation”, he said. The island is believed to be home to 10 families of otters, or about 90 in total, according to reports. Although they seem benign, they do have a history of attacking people. As recently as May, a 77-year-old man was reportedly bitten by an otter on the leg while exercising near the Kallang River in Singapore. According to the Washington Post, river otters were once driven away by pollution in the 1970s, but have since returned as the country’s waterways have been cleaned up in recent years. The animals are common sights in hospital lobbies and condominium pools, and have even been seen drinking from public fountains. (With inputs from agencies)

‘I thought I was going to die’: Man claims he was attacked by otters in Singapore

It has been an&nbsp;enduring mystery how otters&nbsp;manage to stay warm in the chilly waters of their Pacific habitat, bereft of the blubber that insulates seals, whales, and walruses.

The answer, according to a new paper published in the journal&nbsp;Science,&nbsp;is a unique energy conversion system whereby their muscle tissue "leak" large amounts of heat throughout their bodies.

The smallest of all marine mammals with the thickest fur of the animal kingdom, they can hold their breath for up to eight minutes while they dive for prey like clams and crabs, which they're known to crack open using rocks.

That's unlike other mammals, which have to put their muscles to work through exercise, or involuntary shivering, to achieve the same result.

Lead author Traver Wright of Texas A&amp;M University has said&nbsp;that while sea otters' dense, water-resistant fur offsets some heat loss, it isn't enough by itself to cope with the frigid waters off Alaska, where most of them reside.

Scientists already knew the sea otters burn a lot of energy, approximately three times greater than predicted for mammals of their size, and to keep up with the demand, they may consume up to 25 percent of their body mass in a day.

It was unclear, though, which tissues were making use of this energy and how it was going towards producing heat.

To find out, Wright and colleagues took muscle samples from sea otters that were already dead, or, more happily, had been rehabilitated by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and were being prepared for release.&nbsp;They then used a device to measure oxygen consumption.

The main function of muscles is generally to be able to move the body, but in the otters, much of the metabolic energy produced by breaking down sugars and fats was lost&nbsp;as heat instead of being used by mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells, to do work&nbsp;such as&nbsp;powering muscle contraction.

This effect had been predicted for polar animals but was observed for the first time in sea otters in the new paper.

"One of the interesting things that we found is that they're really good at making heat by being inefficient," said Wright.&nbsp;

What the team observed would be considered wasteful in land mammals like humans, "but if you're an animal that's trying to warm up, then that 'wasted' energy and heat is a good thing." &nbsp;

In other words, ideal for helping maintain a body temperature of 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in freezing conditions.

The team found that this "thermogenesic" effect was present in sea otters from the time they were babies to adults, and there was no difference in captive and wild-raised animals.

Sea otters and marine mammals more broadly might have evolved such traits when their terrestrial ancestors began taking to the oceans 50 million years ago, but that hypothesis will require more research to confirm.

Learning how sea otters' metabolic system functions differently from ours could one day also help humans solve obesity issues, added Wright.

"If you can figure out how to increase the leak and metabolic rate, you could theoretically have humans revving up the metabolism and burning off additional calories."

(With inputs from agencies)

It has been an enduring mystery how otters manage to stay warm in the chilly waters of their Pacific habitat, bereft of the blubber that insulates seals, whales, and walruses.

It has been an enduring mystery how otters manage to stay warm in the chilly waters of their Pacific habitat, bereft of the blubber that insulates seals, whales, and walruses. The answer, according to a new paper published in the journal Science, is a unique energy conversion system whereby their muscle tissue "leak" large amounts of heat throughout their bodies. The smallest of all marine mammals with the thickest fur of the animal kingdom, they can hold their breath for up to eight minutes while they dive for prey like clams and crabs, which they're known to crack open using rocks. That's unlike other mammals, which have to put their muscles to work through exercise, or involuntary shivering, to achieve the same result. Lead author Traver Wright of Texas A&M University has said that while sea otters' dense, water-resistant fur offsets some heat loss, it isn't enough by itself to cope with the frigid waters off Alaska, where most of them reside. Scientists already knew the sea otters burn a lot of energy, approximately three times greater than predicted for mammals of their size, and to keep up with the demand, they may consume up to 25 percent of their body mass in a day. It was unclear, though, which tissues were making use of this energy and how it was going towards producing heat. To find out, Wright and colleagues took muscle samples from sea otters that were already dead, or, more happily, had been rehabilitated by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and were being prepared for release. They then used a device to measure oxygen consumption. The main function of muscles is generally to be able to move the body, but in the otters, much of the metabolic energy produced by breaking down sugars and fats was lost as heat instead of being used by mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells, to do work such as powering muscle contraction. This effect had been predicted for polar animals but was observed for the first time in sea otters in the new paper. "One of the interesting things that we found is that they're really good at making heat by being inefficient," said Wright. What the team observed would be considered wasteful in land mammals like humans, "but if you're an animal that's trying to warm up, then that 'wasted' energy and heat is a good thing." In other words, ideal for helping maintain a body temperature of 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in freezing conditions. The team found that this "thermogenesic" effect was present in sea otters from the time they were babies to adults, and there was no difference in captive and wild-raised animals. Sea otters and marine mammals more broadly might have evolved such traits when their terrestrial ancestors began taking to the oceans 50 million years ago, but that hypothesis will require more research to confirm. Learning how sea otters' metabolic system functions differently from ours could one day also help humans solve obesity issues, added Wright. "If you can figure out how to increase the leak and metabolic rate, you could theoretically have humans revving up the metabolism and burning off additional calories." (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists resolve mystery of why otters stay warm in cold surroundings

otters

Otters, News on Otters, stories on Otters, articles on Otters, Otters stories at Wion, Otters news, Otters latest news