Rare Otter Attack Seriously Injures Montana Woman: ‘I Have Lost Almost Half of My Right Ear’

A Montana woman is recovering from being viciously attacked by an otter while tubing in a river.

Jen Royce, of Bozeman, Montana shared the harrowing details in a Facebook post about the Aug. 2 incident when she was enjoying an evening float on inner tubes down the Jefferson River with some friends.

“I saw one otter right behind my friend before it attacked,” she wrote in her post. “I didn’t even have a chance to get the words ‘there is an otter behind you’ out of me before it attacked her.”

A second otter, which she described as “vicious and relentless,” then bit her in the arms, legs, thighs, ankles and both ears.

“My friends were bit on the hands and on their bottoms. One friend’s thumb was SHREDDED and she has bite marks all over her body as well,” she wrote on Facebook.

Royce recalled that she was scared and terrified during the attack. “But if you can believe it,” she later told Cowboy and State Daily,  “I had enough time to think of my three kids. I think as a parent you’d get it.”

“I thought about them hearing that their mother died by an otter in a river. Like, really? No way was I going to let that happen to them. So, I fought as long and as hard as I could.”

Royce further explained on her Facebook post that because she was in the middle of the river, she couldn’t reach the bottom with her feet during the attack. Eventually, however, the friends reached the shore.

“Without ANY exaggeration, God’s honest truth, I did not think I was going to make it out of that river,” Royce wrote. “I had no clue if my friends were going to make it out. But by the grace of God we did.”

Through the use of the SOS function on an iPhone, the trio was able to get help. One of the women had to briefly leave the group and run more than 2 miles to meet the rescue team because the survivors were in a remote area that was not easily locatable.

Royce, who said she was covered in blood that poured out of her face and nose, was airlifted to a local hospital where she underwent surgery. Meanwhile, her two friends were treated at the scene and later brought to a hospital for additional evaluation. Royce later recalled in her social media post that she received more stitches than she could count.

“Besides my face, I have puncture wounds to my left ankle, both legs, back of my right thigh, both arms, both hands, and all fingers,” she wrote. “My left ear is split in half from the top to the bottom and is being held together with some kind of yellow bandage and stitches on both sides.

“I have lost almost half of my right ear,” she continued. “But I am lucky, and I am grateful, and I am alive.”

In a news statement about the incident, Montana Fish and Wildlife said that otter attacks are rare but added that the animals “can be protective of themselves and their young, especially at close distances.”

“They give birth to their young in April and can later be seen with their young in the water during the summer,” added Montana Fish and Wildlife. “They may also be protective of food resources, especially when those resources are scarce.”

The department recommended recreationists maintain a wide distance as a result. “Being aware and keeping your distance can help avoid dangerous encounters, reduce stress for wildlife, and promote healthy animal behavior. If you are attacked by an otter, fight back, get away and out of the water, and seek medical attention.”

While recovering at her home, Royce told Cowboy and State that her wounds had begun to heal. A photograph recently shared on her Facebook account shows her sitting in a hair salon. Meanwhile. a GoFundMe has been established on behalf of Royce and her family to pay for her medical expenses.

“My face is healing fairly quick,” Royce said. “My hands and fingers are taking longer, which makes me impatient,” This whole process is teaching me to be even more humble and less prideful. It’s hard to accept help and not do for myself, but my family and friends are practically forcing me so I don’t have a choice!”

Near the end of her Facebook post, Royce also expressed gratitude to her two injured friends. “I love you both so much.” she wrote. I am so sorry this happened. I pray we are all able to get through the trauma and bad images and bad memories that are going through all of our heads right now.”