A man thought he was going to die after he was attacked by a gang of vicious otters in a park.
Graham George Spencer, a British citizen living in Singapore, says he was chased, pinned down and bitten "26 times in 10 seconds" by about 20 otters while out for a walk.
He was going for an early morning walk at the botanical gardens on November 30 when he saw the otters crossing in front of him.
He says they suddenly "went crazy" after another man ran towards them, and although the runner escaped, Graham was not so lucky.
Graham says they bit his ankles, leg and buttocks, which caused him to fall over.
He told The Straits Times : "I actually thought I was going to die – they were going to kill me."
His friend who was walking behind him and ran up screaming to try and rescue his pal from the savage otter attack.
"I was bitten 26 times in 10 seconds. If it wasn’t for my friend, I don’t think I’d still be here. I’d be dead,” Graham told the local outlet Today.
The pair then ran towards a visitor centre while still being chased by the otters.
Staff at the centre then treated some of the wounds, but Graham took himself to a nearby hospital where he was given tetanus shots and oral antibiotics.
He says he has since returned to the hospital three times to treat his wounds and that it has so far cost him about $1,200 (£665) in medical bills.
He was told by the botanical gardens that authorities are investigating the incident.
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There are thought to be 10 families of otters on the island or about 90 in total.
The otter population was driven out in the 1970s and have since returned with many reports saying they are seen in hospital lobbies and residential pools, and even in public fountains.
Bernard Seah, a member of OtterWatch and the Otter Working Group that track otters in the area, said that the family of otters may have bitten Graham fearing danger.
He told The Straits Times: "Given that it was early morning, it may have been dark and confusing for the otters and (Spencer) may have just been a victim of circumstance."
Singapore’s national parks board issued an advisory on what to do if you encounter an otter.
It says: "DO NOT touch, chase or corner the otters. Observe them from a distance. Going too close to the otters may frighten them."
