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Otters are one of those species that is easy to fall in love with, especially through the internet. They are cute, playful, and seem to have a lot of personality.
Then there is the fact that they do things like hold hands while sleeping in order to keep from drifting away from each other in the water.
It all adds up to make otters one of the most beloved animals by people throughout the world.
While there is a lot to love about otters, it is important that if you ever see a giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) in the wild, you don’t get too close.
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Giant otters are the largest species of otter, growing up to 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) long and weighing in at 32 kilograms (70 pounds). This is around twice as long and five times as heavy as marine otters.
They primarily live in Argentina, Uruguay, and Venezuela. As one of the largest carnivores in South America, it is easy to believe that they can be dangerous.
On top of that, they are quite territorial, so even though they aren’t likely to see humans as food, they will attack in order to defend their home.
A fight with a single giant otter would be difficult, but they are social animals and live in groups ranging from two to 16 in number. If you happen to find yourself walking near their dens on accident, you could be in some serious danger.
Fortunately, they tend to live in areas away from humans and attacks are quite rare. In captivity, there were three giant otter attacks that took place from 2011 to 2021. Just because they don’t happen often, however, does not mean that one should press their luck.
In general, giant otters keep to themselves and live their lives hunting fish and amphibians in the area. Different groups of giant otters will fight against each other, usually in some type of territorial dispute. These fights can become very violent, resulting in serious injury or even death.
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There is some concern that attacks on humans could become more common in the future as we continue to intrude on their habitat. So, no matter how cute they may be, it is best to keep your distance from this giant otter.
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