カワウソが川下りの女性ら襲撃、激しくかまれ１人病院搬送　米

【ロサンゼルスＡＦＰ＝時事】米西部モンタナ州で、浮輪に乗って川下りをしていた女性３人がカワウソ１頭に襲われた。１人は顔や腕を激しくかまれ、ヘリコプターで病院に搬送された。（写真はカワウソ〈資料写真〉）
　女性らは２日夕方、ジェファーソン川を浮輪に乗って下っていたところ、カワウソ１～２頭を発見。
　モンタナ州魚類野生生物公園局（ＦＷＰ）によれば、「カワウソ１頭が近づいてきて襲い掛かり」「３人とも負傷した」。
　ＦＷＰによると、カワウソが人を襲撃するのはまれだが、夏場に水辺にいる子どもを守ったり、餌場が脅かされていると認識したりすると襲ってくることもあるという。
　ＦＷＰのモーガン・ジェイコブセン氏はＮＢＣの系列局に対し、女性らは電話で緊急救助を求め、１人は顔と腕をかまれたため病院に搬送されたと明らかにした。
　ＦＷＰによると、モンタナ州当局はカワウソに近づくと危険だと警告する看板は立てているが、これ以上の対策は今のところ考えていないという。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/08/07-16:09）

An aggressive otter attacked three women floating down a river in Montana, with one victim helicoptered to hospital with severe bites to her face and arms, authorities in the western US state said.
The group of swimmers was drifting along Jefferson River in inflatable ring tubes on Wednesday evening when they spotted one or two of the animals.
An otter approached and attacked them, Montana's Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) service said in a statement. All three women were injured.
FWP said otter attacks are rare but can be caused when the semi-aquatic animals are protecting their young, which take to the water in summer, or believe that a food source is under threat.
It advised people to keep their distance but, if attacked, to fight back, get away and out of the water.
FWP official Morgan Jacobsen told a local NBC affiliate that the women had telephoned for emergency help and that one victim was flown to hospital due to the bites on her face and arms.
Several states away, surfers in California were the target of sea otter attacks last month when a five-year-old female tried to steal their boards.
In one social media video, the otter climbed on a surfer's board and hung on as he tried to shake it off. The otter lunged at him, and started biting the board.
Authorities in Montana have posted signs warning of the danger from otters, the FWP said, but are not planning any other response.
It added low water levels can bring humans closer to wildlife.
Otters, members of the weasel family, were historically sought for their pelts, with hunting and habitat loss threatening the population of both river and sea otters.