Otter Killed After Attack on Boy, Grandma

Swimmers are now free to go back in the Seattle-area Pilchuck River without worrying unduly about being attacked by crazed otters, authorities say. Wildlife officials say they tracked, shot, and killed a large, aggressive male otter just yards from where an 8-year-old boy and his grandmother were badly injured in an otter attack last month, reports Reuters.

Authorities say they initially suspected a female otter protecting pups attacked the boy as he swam and then attacked his grandmother as she went to his aid, but the male they shot was unusually aggressive and they're pretty sure he was the culprit, the AP reports. The otter, which was at least 4 feet long, appeared to have no fear of humans, authorities say. A necropsy will be carried out to determine whether disease may have played a role in its behavior. (More otter stories.)