'I knew he was rabid': Otter bite victim recounts attack, hundreds of vaccine shots

JUPITER — Joseph Scaglione was feeding the ducks by the canal behind his house in Jupiter on Sept. 20 — as he does twice every day — when he got the shock of his life.

A rabid otter chased the 74-year-old lover of wildlife down, bit him over 40 times and then wouldn’t let go of his right hand for five minutes.

He managed to fight the 15-pound otter off and make it to the Jupiter Medical Center emergency department, where he received more than 120 rabies vaccine shots, three or four around each puncture wound.He still is receiving vaccine shots this week in hopes of sparing him from the fatal viral infection that attacks the nervous system.

“As soon as the otter attacked, I knew he was rabid,” said Scaglione, who retired to Jupiter from Brooklyn 20 years ago.

The otter crossed the canal and tried to attack Scaglione’s neighbors after he had freed himself. They trapped it in a recycling bin weighed down by bricks until Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control could capture it.

The animal was euthanized and test results Sept. 22 confirmed it was rabid, said David Walesky, Animal Care and Control’s assistant director.

'Barriers mean nothing'Jupiter High teen poised to become Eagle Scout despite deafness

Otters are common in Jupiter’s waters, said Amy Kight, executive director of Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter Farms, and any animal living in the wild risks being bitten by one infected with rabies.Attacks on humans by rabid otters, however, are rare, at least in Palm Beach County. According to Animal Care and Control’s records, it was the first since one near Boca Raton in 2010.

“Any time wildlife is around, be careful,” Kight said. “Be aware that we share an environment with them and be mindful of any kind of wildlife, otters included.”

Otter squeezed through backyard gate en route to attack Jupiter man

That Wednesday began like most others. Scaglione went behind his house on Marlin Drive, off Center Street and just south of the Loxahatchee River, at about 8:30 a.m. with cracked corn for the ducks that frequent a nearby pond.Then he saw the otter’s head peek out of the water, and he sensed trouble.Scaglione went behind the gate of his backyard and closed it, but the otter squeezed through a 4-inch opening in the gate and charged at him.

Scaglione tripped and fell backward, and then the otter bit his right hand and wouldn’t let go.

“My wife then came out, but there was nothing she could do. He was just constantly on the attack,” Scaglione said.

Brightline to Orlando:Passengers see promise in sleek trains, flaws in slow speeds in first trek from Miami

Scaglione said he grabbed the otter’s neck with his left hand, and eventually the otter relaxed its jaw just enough for him to free his hand. Scaglione then grabbed the otter and flung him as far as he could away from his yard — about 12 feet.

“When he landed, he seemed like he was dazed for a second. In that second, I was able to get my wife and I inside,” Scaglione said. “I had a lot of blood on me, so I couldn’t tell how bad the bites were. We just started pouring hydrogen peroxide on the bites. I counted 41 punctures.”

Scaglione said his worst injuries were a big bite on his left wrist and a pinky fingernail ripped from his right hand. After cleaning his wounds, Scaglione’s wife called a neighbor who drove them to Jupiter Medical Center.

He said his wounds caught the emergency room’s staff by surprise.

“When I got to the hospital and told them I was bit by an otter, everyone’s first reaction was, ‘What!?’ They couldn’t believe what happened,” Scaglione said.

At the hospital, Scaglione had to soak his hands and legs in betadine medical soap for an hour. Then, nurses gave him three to four rabies vaccine shots beside each bite.

He went back a few days later for another single injection. He received another shot this week and will get another next week before doctors reevaluate him to see if he needs more shots after that.

Otter likely was bit by rabid animal prior to attack, Animal Care says

How did the otter become rabid? Walesky says the most likely culprit is a raccoon, an animal that often is associated with rabies.“It’s always possible for any warm-blooded animal to get rabies, but raccoons are definitely the most common cases,” he said. 

Walesky emphasized the attack on Scaglione shows the importance of dogs receiving rabies vaccinations.The same otter had bit the nose of a bulldog mix in Scaglione’s neighborhood earlier on the day of the attack, but the dog did not contract rabies because he was vaccinated, Walesky said.

Lyft slaying:State seeks death penalty against man accused of murdering Palm Beach Gardens driver

“I think people should enjoy wildlife from a safe distance and not assume that all wildlife is healthy,” Walesky said. “We should not interfere with wildlife. That is generally what will keep the wildlife safe and keep us safe.”

The incident hasn’t deterred Scaglione from loving wildlife, but it did remind him to be careful when walking among it. He began exercising that care the night he came home from the hospital — when he returned outside to resume feeding the ducks.

“People have told me to stay away from the otters. I understand that because I respect the wildlife, but I never would have expected one to attack me,” Scaglione said.

What is rabies and why is it dangerous?

Rabies is a disease of the nervous system and is fatal to warm-blooded animals and humans if not treated. A person or their pet bitten by a wild animal should seek medical or veterinary assistance immediately. Incidents should be reported to Animal Care & Control at 561-233-1215.

Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at mwashburn@pbpost.com. Support local journalism:Subscribe today.