Singapore: Otter attacks French family at Gardens by the Bay, leaves daughter with bloody leg

Tourist attacked by otter in Singapore
Tourist attacked by otter in Singapore Reuters

A family trip to Singapore's one of the most favourite tourist attraction, Gardens by the Bay, took a wrong turn for a French family when an otter attacked their 5-year-old girl, who was visiting the place with parents and siblings.

Le Tourneur, the father of the wounded girl said they were watching a bunch of otters swimming back and forth with other, when one of the otters, which was only one metre away, jumped out and bit his daughter, Tess.

Tess started crying out of pain. Her foot was bleeding continuously at least for five minutes. After hearing her scream, other tourists rushed to help the distressed family.

According to the 45-year-old Tourneur, who came with his wife, along with other two children 6-year-old boy and 5-month-old baby, people came with fast aid kit from the nearby food court. After the initial aide, Tess was immediately rushed to KK Women's and Children's Hospital.

After reaching the hospital, an x-ray was done by the medical staff. Thankfully, doctors couldn't find any serious injury but a minor surgery was required as the wound was deep.

Tourneur, who is living in Singapore for four years and working in marketing for digital maps company HERE Technologies, said that probably the otters got scared after seeing so many people and replicated their frustration in this way.

Tess got lucky because the otter's teeth did not touch the bone. However, there have been incidents where wild animals have claimed lives of humans in the country. A few years ago, according to Daily Mail, three rare white tigers from Singapore zoo attacked a 32-year-old cleaner, who was provoking them by waving a broom and a bucket.

However, after Tess's incident, the authorities of the Gardens by the Bay has set some strict rules for the visitors. They have also placed caution board to urge tourist to avoid contacts with the otters.

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