The Giant Otter can attack from both up and down and grab the prey in the last instant to capture the prey in its jaws. The Andean Wolf, or Hagenbeck’s Wolf is an unsubstantited wolf-like canid, reportedly from the Andes. RIP Ace: Super Pitbull Killed In Horror Attack. The giant otter is the longest of the otter species but shares a similar weight with the sea otter. Giant Otter This South American otter is the world's largest, at some 6 feet long. In 2013 a woman from Montana claimed she needed eight stitches to her head after being attacked by an otter while tubing on the Madison river. Otters can certainly harass Caiman though and have done so multiple times. Sydney Sainsbury of West Yellowstone was 'viciously' attacked by an otter on July 9, leaving her needing serious medical attention, including an arm brace and eight stitches to … The first occurred in Brasilia zoo in 1977 when a 13 year old boy fell into the otter enclosure. Giant otters attack either above or below the water holding the prey with their teeth strongly. https: ... And I've seen a Caiman attack 3 Otters with their fish kill, easily dispatching them and wounding one as they all retreated. Photo by: Frank Hajek. When the zoo cleaner saw the animal, she screamed and the six-foot-long giant otter pounced on her. It was big, shiny and black, but the animal was clearly related to the hippopotamus, not the pig. The Hagenbeck Zoo (Tierpark Hagenbeck) is named after Carl Hagenbeck, whose life and that of his son have been intertwined with the early history of modern cryptozoology. All three names ar… However, to … They sat down and they were crying in pain,” Mr Whitney said. As water drips from it, you realize it's an otter with brown fur and long whiskers. Adult giant otters living in family groups have no known serious natural predators, however there are some accounts of black caimans in Peru and yacare caimans in the Pantanal preying on giant otters. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. The family Mustelidae, or mustelids, (which also includes badgers, otters, and wolverines) is often referred to as the "weasel family". These big cats are ruthlessly agile, armed with razor-sharp teeth and talons and near-perfect hunters. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. Giant otter: Physical characteristics. Giant otters are very big, very noisy and move in large groups. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The giant otter hunts in packs of four to ten adults and has a remarkable predatory instinct and unusual feeding habits. In Brazil it is known as ariranha, from the Tupí word ari'raña, meaning water jaguar ((Template:Lang-pt). The giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is a South American carnivorous mammal. The tail adds another 28 inches to the total body length. It might not be the most poisonous snake, but thanks to its unique spit and strike attack technique, the Asian Cobra is responsible for more human deaths than any other snake on the planet. Animals can be GIANT JERKS. Giant otter attack! Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. Several videos of monkeys harassing sea otters in a zoo, culminating with a mass of otters drowning a monkey to the tune of O Fortuna. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? In their natural habitat, giant otters are apex predators, and while they primarily eat fish, they can and do take down caimans and anacondas. Chris and Jacob's injuries were less severe. The brute force of an elephant is unrivalled by any land mammal. They might look cute, but the backs of the Amazonian poison dart frog ooze a slimy neurotoxin to keep predators away. Today, we usually know this information in terms of Mokele-mbembe. Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. An average giant otter will weigh between 22 and 32kg (49-71lbs). Aside from human beings, of course. The jaguar decided to plunge and managed to grab the baby with a swift bite. They are very inquisitive, and many of their calls are quite explosive in sound, so they appear angry when they are merely curious. It is the only species in the genus Potamogale. “We have no idea how the giant otter escaped,” zoo spokeswoman Eveline Dustersiek told Germany’s The Local. Hans Schomburgk also recounted to Hagenbeck that hippopotamus were absent from Lake Bangweulu; the natives said this was because of the depredations of a monster which inhabited the lake. The widely publicized incident led to a popular belief in Brazil that giant otters can attack and capsize a canoe and tear its occupants to pieces, though no such thing has ever happened. In 1909, Hagenbeck sent German explorer Hans Schomburgk to Liberia to check on rumors about a “giant black pig.” After two years of jungle pursuit, Schomburgk finally spotted the animal 30 ft in front of him. Introduction to Otters. “Every time it would go under I knew it was about to attack and it was just so terrible, it's just the scariest thing in my life I've ever been through," he continued. The author’s expertise in field observation and research are clear in the writing that is at once informative and accessible. Otters rarely attack humans, but can be territorial. I just remember looking back at it and seeing it's teeth, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}, Family of otters attack two teenage boys swimming in California lake, Rare video shows wild sea otter giving birth, US aquarium trains otter to use inhaler after smoke from Seattle wildfires gives it asthma, Otter launches 'bloody' attack on restaurant, leaves owner 'terrified', eight year old boy and his grandmother were also attacked, You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully, Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable, Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties, We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification. A passing army sergeant, Silvio Hollembach jumped in to rescue the child but was set upon himself. Joseph Menges, another naturalist, told Hagenbeck that “some kind of dinosaur, seemingly akin to the brontosaurs,” lived in the swamps. They hunt for food both in the water such as fish and then also land creatures including small reptiles. The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. The giant otter has a handful of other names. They are often mistaken for beavers though. Settlers, travellers and explorers wrongly believe they are under attack and shoot to defend themselves (as they believe). ( 28in ) to this body length and seriously injured the old when. Otter, European otter, European otter, European otter, European otter, otter! First discovered with only a skin bought by German animal-dealer Lorenz Hagenbeck in Buenos Aires in 1926 enough. Decided to plunge and managed to grab the baby with a predator - all 1,500lb of them been. 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