British man escapes 'crazy' otter attack in Singapore park with 26 bites

A British man has told of how he was attacked by a family of otters in a Singapore park.

Graham George Spencer feared he would die during the morning incident in the city's Botanic Gardens.

He was pinned down and bitten “26 times in 10 seconds” by the creatures before a friend ran up screaming to scare them away.

“I actually thought I was going to die — they were going to kill me,” he told the Straits Times.

“If it wasn’t for my friend, I don’t think I’d still be here. I’d be dead,” he told another local outlet, Today.

I actually thought I was going to die – they were going to kill me

Graham George Spencer

The drama unfolded on November 30 when he spotted the otters, whose numbers have swelled in recent years, during a walk in the gardens.

The animals were shuffling along quietly but “went crazy” when another walker ran towards them, Mr Spencer said.

Staff at a nearby visitor centre treated him before he went to the city's Gleneagles hospital where he was given tetanus shots and antibiotics. He had since returned to hospital three times, racking up a $1,200 medical bill.

Singapore Botanic Gardens is investigating the incident, Mr Spencer told the media.

Singapore is reportedly home to about 10 families of otters, or about 90 in total. Their numbers have risen over the years as the city state's polluted river has been cleaned up. In May, a 77-year-old man reportedly was bitten on the leg by an otter while exercising near Kallang River in Singapore.

“DO NOT touch, chase or corner the otters. Observe them from a distance. Going too close to the otters may frighten them,” Singapore’s national parks board said in an advisory on what to do during an encounter with an otter.

A smooth-coated otter eats a fish at Changi beach in Singapore. The population has swollen in recent years as the city-state has cleaned up polluted rivers. AFP

Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Key findings of Jenkins report

Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."

What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

An arms embargo
A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods