Mum savaged in otter attack burns effigies of the animal to help with trauma

Jen Royce was savaged by the otter while floating down a river (Picture: Kennedy News)

Jen Royce, from Bozeman in Montana, was floating down the Jefferson River with two friends in August when she was attacked by the animal for around five minutes.

Attacks from otters are incredibly rare – there have only been an estimated 59 otter attacks with injuries or deaths worldwide since 1875.

But in the months after the attack which saw her face savaged and ear ripped off, the mum-of-three still sees the otter when she goes to sleep at night.

Jen has now revealed she attended an otter burning party weeks ago with her friends in an effort to get over the trauma of the attack.

She said: ‘I think I will always be triggered when I see an otter and I don’t think I am ever going to be okay with them. It’s funny because otters were my favourite animal before this happened.

PIX FROM Kennedy News/Jen Royce: (Pictured: JEN ROYCE, 37, ON THE DAY OF THE OTTER ATTACK WHILST THEY WERE TUBING ON THE JEFFERSON RIVER IN MONTANA.)The mum who went viral when her face was savaged by an OTTER admits she sees the beast every time she goes to sleep - and now burns effigies of what was once her favourite animal. Jen Royce from Montana, US, hit the headlines in August when she was caught in an unprovoked attack while tubing the Jefferson River in Montana, US, for her 37th birthday with her two friends Stephanie Johnson, 41, and Leila Pavolich, 37.The mum-of-three has revealed she thought she was going to die in the 'vicious and relentless' five-minute assault as the creature bit her face and body and ripped part of her ear off.DISCLAIMER: While Kennedy News and Media uses its best endeavours to establish the copyright and authenticity of all pictures supplied, it accepts no liability for any damage, loss or legal action caused by the use of images supplied and the publication of images is solely at your discretion. SEE KENNEDY NEWS COPY - 0161 697 — Jen had been floating and enjoying time with friends before the attack (Picture: Jen Royce)

She had to undergo a five hour facial reconstruction surgery (Picture: Kennedy News) — She had to undergo a five-hour facial reconstruction operation (Picture: Kennedy News)

PIX FROM Kennedy News/Jen Royce: (Pictured: JEN ROYCE, 37, INJURIES AFTER THE OTTER ATTACK IN AUGUST THIS YEAR.)The mum who went viral when her face was savaged by an OTTER admits she sees the beast every time she goes to sleep - and now burns effigies of what was once her favourite animal. Jen Royce from Montana, US, hit the headlines in August when she was caught in an unprovoked attack while tubing the Jefferson River in Montana, US, for her 37th birthday with her two friends Stephanie Johnson, 41, and Leila Pavolich, 37.The mum-of-three has revealed she thought she was going to die in the 'vicious and relentless' five-minute assault as the creature bit her face and body and ripped part of her ear off.DISCLAIMER: While Kennedy News and Media uses its best endeavours to establish the copyright and authenticity of all pictures supplied, it accepts no liability for any damage, loss or legal action caused by the use of images supplied and the publication of images is solely at your discretion. SEE KENNEDY NEWS COPY - 0161 697 4266 — The animal launched its attack on Jen for five minutes (Picture: Kennedy News)

Jen said she still has flashbacks of the attack when she sleeps, and suffers panic attacks when she wakes up.

Despite keeping some of her otter trinkets, she said: ‘Some of my otter items I have kept hold of, even though I want to take a hammer to them, because they hold too much sentimental value.

‘But I had a stuffed animal toy and I threw this away as soon as I could [after the attack].

‘A good friend of mine also invited us to an otter burning party. We drank some champagne and burned three stuffed otters.’