A fun day out with her family turned into a traumatic experience for a 9-year-old Camps Bay girl when she was attacked by a Cape clawless otter.
Kiara Dordel is recovering after the otter bit her foot while she was standup paddle boarding with her family and friends in a canal at the V&A Waterfront last Sunday.
The brave girl fended off the cheeky animal.
“If I had just frozen then things would just have gotten worse,” said Kiara.
“So I attempted to push it ( the otter) off (the board) with my paddle and succeeded eventually.”
Kiara was taken to a city hospital.
As Kiara continued to tell her story her twin sister Francesca hugged her, happy that her sibling was on the road to recovery.
Francesca said she felt helpless and feared for Kiara’s safety, as she was perched on the front of her dad’s paddleboard at the time and watched the events unfold.
The twins’ dad, Sebastian Dordel, explained Kiara was paddling 15m ahead of them when she lost her balance and fell in the water.
“Kiara was in front the whole time. I was maybe 15m or so behind her and she just lost balance and fell in the water.
“She swam back to the paddleboard and right behind her this little head, an otter coming after her.
“Just as she reached the board and was climbing on, the otter bit her on her foot. She screamed.
“I paddled fast to get to her but my friend, another dad, was a bit closer and he reached her first. It was pandemonium and the kids were just beside themselves,” said Dordel.
He explained the company which offers the paddling, SUP Cape Town, assisted his daughter before he took her to Cape Town Mediclinic where a doctor examined her and treated the wound.
Kiara’s mom, Bonita Dordel, said her daughter was so traumatised that she had a panic attack that evening and subsequently slept with her parents for two nights following the incident.
Manager at SUP Cape Town, Quinton Green, explained that the Cape clawless otters inhabit the canal and they warn clients not to let the otters onto the paddleboards. He added that they also have signs in the shop warning people of the otters’ presence.
The company’s co-owner Rory Smyth said the Dordel family had been SUP boarding before so they were aware that there were otters in the canal. The staff assisted the child and advised the father to take her for a tetanus shot.
V&A Waterfront spokesperson Donald Kau said there has been an increasing number of Cape clawless otter sightings around the Western Cape in recent months. This near-threatened species lives in waterways and aquatic habitats, including areas that are frequented by humans.
“Otters are an important indicator species for water body health. They normally seek out quiet areas to feed and rest in. Otters have taken up residence along the Waterfront canals. We aren’t certain of their number as yet.”
As people have started to return to these spaces post lockdown, there have been increased sightings and reports of otters approaching people.
The Waterfront, through its Wildlife Management Programme and in collaboration with the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation and the Two Oceans Aquarium, was trying to find solutions that were in the interest of the otters and Waterfront visitors. This is an experimental process that is being monitored closely and is a continuous learning process.
“As with any wild animals, if threatened, otters might bite. The public is therefore asked to treat these animals with respect and to not approach or interact with them. Cape clawless otters are protected in South Africa, and it is an offence to feed them or to cause them any harm,” Kau said.
The brave girl fended off the cheeky animal.
“If I had just frozen then things would just have gotten worse,” said Kiara. “So I attempted to push it ( the otter) off (the board) with my paddle and succeeded eventually”.
Kiara was taken to a city hospital.
As Kiara continued to tell her story her twin sister Francesca hugged her, happy that her sibling was on the road to recovery.
Francesca said she felt helpless and feared for Kiara’s safety, as she was perched on the front of her dad’s paddleboard at the time and watched the events unfold.
The twins' dad Sebastian Dordel explained Kiara was paddling 15m ahead of them when she lost her balance and fell in the water.
“Kiara was in front the whole time. I was maybe fifteen meters or so behind her and she just lost balance and fell in the water. She swam back to the paddleboard and right behind her this little head, an otter coming after her. Just as she reached the board and was climbing on, the otter bit her on her foot. She screamed. I paddled fast to get to her but my friend, another dad, was a bit closer and he reached her first. It was pandemonium and the kids were just beside themselves.” said Dordel
He explained that the company which offers the paddling SUP Cape Town assisted his daughter before he took her to Cape Town Medi Clinic a doctor examined her and treated the wound.
Kiara’s mom, Bonita Dordel said her daughter was so traumatized that she had a panic attack that evening and subsequently slept with her parents for two nights following the incident.
Manager at SUP Cape Town Quinton Green explained that the Cape clawless otters inhabit the canal and they warn clients not to let the otters onto the paddleboards. He added that they also have signs in the shop warning people of the otters' presence.
The company’s co-owner Rory Smyth said the Dordel family had been SUP boarding before so they were aware that there were otters in the canal. The staff assisted the child and advised the father to take her for a tetanus shot.
V&A Waterfront spokesperson Donald Kau said There has been an increasing number of Cape clawless otter sightings around the Western Cape in recent months. This near-threatened species lives in waterways and aquatic habitats, including areas that are frequented by humans.
Otters were an important indicator species for water body health. They normally seek out quiet areas to feed and rest in. Otters have taken up residence along the Waterfront canals. We aren’t certain of their number as yet.”
As people have started to return to these spaces post lockdown, there have been increased sightings and reports of otter approaching people. The Waterfront, through its Wildlife Management Programme and in collaboration with the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation and the Two Oceans Aquarium, was trying to find solutions that were in the interest of the otters and Waterfront visitors. This is an experimental process that is being monitored closely and is a continuous learning process.
“ As with any wild animals, if threatened, otters might bite. The public is therefore asked to treat these animals with respect and to not approach or interact with them. Cape clawless otters are protected in South Africa, and it is an offence to feed them or to cause them any harm.”