Rabid otter pounces on a Florida man biting his legs, hands and arms 41 times as he fed the ducks – before it turned on a couple’s pet dog

A Florida man was bitten more than 41 times on the body by a rabid otter that later attacked a dog walking in the same neighborhood with its owner.

Joseph Scaglione, 73, was feeding ducks in the backyard of his home in Jupiter, Florida, when he was jumped by the otter – which later tested positive for rabies.

In total, the man was pierced more than three dozen times by the animal in his arms, legs and hands before he was finally able to shake the animal off.

‘My little finger is the worst. I have two stab wounds. I’m not sure if it’s going through well or what. One is at the corner of the cuticle,” Scaglione said.

The rabid one later came across a couple with their baby and their dog and attacked the dog before residents nearby trapped the mammal.

The animal was later euthanized, the Florida Department of Health said WPBF.

Scaglione was feeding ducks in his garden, pictured here, when he was attacked

In an interview with the local outlet, Scaglione described the terrifying incident involving the animal that attacked him.

“I normally go out and feed the ducks in the back. Ducks, geese, ibis,” Scaglione said.

While he was outside on September 20, he noticed something was wrong.

The first red flag came when Scaglione saw birds that had gathered outside around the fence in his backyard take off quickly.

“Look up, no hawk, look down again and there was a brown head sticking out of the bank of the pond,” said the older Florida man.

He said he initially didn’t know what kind of animal he was dealing with, but then realized and immediately responded by trying to back away slowly.

As he started to walk away, he raised his hand to close the gate and the otter pounced on him, causing him to fall back, he said.

The 73-year-old eventually shook the animal away and brought it to safety.

However, just hours later, Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control responded to a call about another attack in the area, this time on a dog.

It is unclear the extent of the puppy’s injuries.

Scaglione was pierced more than three dozen times by the animal in his arms, legs and hands

The animal tested positive for rabies and was euthanized, officials said

Fortunately, several residents worked together to capture the rabid animal by trapping it under recycling bins until officials could come pick it up for testing.

‘We captured the animal. We were able to secure it and get it here at our facility. From there, the sample is collected and then sent to the state laboratory in Jacksonville,” said Capt. David Walesky of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control.

“It takes a few days, so on Saturday the results came back confirmed positive,” Walesky said, adding that the animal may have contracted rabies from a raccoon.

The animal was then euthanized to prevent future incidents.

Officials said it is the first attack of its kind in the area in more than a dozen years.

The viral disease is highly contagious and extremely dangerous.

According to the World Health OrganisationOnce symptoms of rabies appear, the disease is ‘100% fatal’.

Officials recommend getting pets vaccinated against rabies and seeking immediate treatment if anyone has come into contact with a rabid animal.

Scaglione was treated for rabies after the bites and is in good condition.

The Florida native doesn’t let that stop him from enjoying his backyard pond.

‘It’s nice out there. We, you know we really enjoy it,” he said.

“We have the ducks and the geese that come all the time. And we love them, and they know us, and that’s nice,” Scaglione continued.