Cloaked in darkness, a rabid otter emerged from the brush and attacked a 96-year-old man Friday morning.
The seemingly unprovoked attack occurred about 4:30 a.m. in Venice, Sarasota County deputies say.
Two people saw Morrie Denton, 96, on the ground and used garden instruments to fend off the fish-eating mammal. They called 911.
Denton and Christopher Janssen, 36, were taken to a hospital for treatment.
"I just looked down on the ground and I saw this little animal walking across and he walked across real slow," Denton said.
"And I looked down there and he grabbed me by the leg," he said. "When I fell is when he grabbed my hand. I tried to pull him off with the other hand and he got hold of that hand. He was all over me."
It initially appeared the otter was dead, deputies say, but it tried retreating to the brush. The creature was killed because it was considered dangerous to the public.
Authorities confirmed the otter that attacked Denton was rabid. The Sarasota County Health Department issued a rabies alert after the disease was confirmed.
Health officials said another otter that attacked two horses last month in Sarasota County also tested positive for rabies.
Rabies usually occurs in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, feral cats, coyotes and otters. Domestic animals are at risk if not vaccinated.
If bitten by an animal, people are urged to seek medical help. The bite should be washed with soap and running water for five to 10 minutes.
For more information on rabies, go to the Florida Department of Health web site or contact the county health department at 941-861-6133.
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