A Florida man was bitten more than 41 times on the body by a rabid otter that later turned on a dog walking with its owner in the same neighborhood.
Joseph Scaglione, 73, was feeding ducks in the backyard of his home in Jupiter, Florida, when he was attacked by the otter – which later tested positive for rabies.
In total, the man was pierced by the animal more than three dozen times on his arms, legs and hands before he was finally able to shake the animal off.
“My pinky is the worst. I have two stab wounds. I’m not sure if it goes through properly or what. “One is on the corner where the cuticle was,” Scaglione said.
The rabids later came across a couple traveling with their baby and dog and attacked the dog before residents in the neighborhood caught the mammal.
The animal was later euthanized, the Florida Department of Health told WPBF.
Joseph Scaglione, 73, was feeding ducks in the backyard of his home in Jupiter, Florida, when he was attacked by an otter
Scaglione was feeding ducks in his garden (pictured here) when he was attacked
In an interview with the local outlet, Scaglione described the frightening incident with the animal that attacked him.
“I usually go out and feed the ducks in the back.” “Ducks, geese, ibises,” Scaglione said.
While he was out on September 20, he noticed something was wrong.
The first red flag came when Scaglione saw birds that had gathered outside the gate in his backyard quickly flying away.
“I looked up, no hawk, looked back down and there was a brown head poking over the edge of the pond,” the elderly Florida man said.
He said he didn’t know what kind of animal he was dealing with at first, but then realized and immediately reacted by trying to back away slowly.
As he began to walk away, he raised his hand to close the gate and the otter pounced on him, causing him to fall back, he said.
The 73-year-old finally shook off the animal and got to safety.
However, just a few hours later, Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control responded to a call about another attack in the area, this time on a dog.
The extent of the puppy’s injuries is unclear.
Scaglione was stabbed more than three dozen times on his arms, legs and hands by the animal
The animal tested positive for rabies and was euthanized, officials said
Luckily, several residents worked together to capture the rabid animal by trapping it under recycling bins until officials could come and pick it up for testing.
“We caught the animal. We were able to secure it and pick it up here at our facility. From there, samples are collected and then sent to the state laboratory in Jacksonville,” said Capt. David Walesky of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control.
“It takes a few days, so on Saturday the results came back confirming they were positive,” Walesky said, adding that the animal may have gotten rabies from a raccoon.
The animal was then euthanized to prevent future incidents.
Officials said it was the first attack of its kind in the region in more than 12 years.
The viral disease is highly contagious and extremely dangerous.
According to the World Health Organization, once symptoms of rabies appear, the disease is “100% fatal.”
Officials recommend having pets vaccinated against rabies and seeking immediate treatment if a person has come into contact with a rabid animal.
Scaglione was treated for rabies following the bites and is in good condition.
The Florida resident doesn’t let that stop him from enjoying his backyard pond.
“It’s nice out there.” “We, you know, we really enjoy it,” he said.
“We have the ducks and geese that come all the time. And we love them, and they know us, and that’s a nice thing,” Scaglione continued.