Think your OtterBox-encased iPhone is just about impervious to harm? While it may laugh at a few knocks, drops, and scrapes, in a straight up fight against the creature from which it takes its name, it’ll probably be a ‘case’ of Otter 1, OtterBox 0.
Updated on 05-08-2015 by Andy Boxall: Added in OtterBox’s official response to this vicious incident
OtterBox has responded to our request for comment. The company said in a press release that, “in light of recent otter attacks on OtterBox cases, our engineers are hard at work to create a truly ‘otter-proof’ case.” However, work on the case has halted, “pending ability to get otter in-house for testing.”* In the meantime, it has released the video you see below, showing not all otters have a problem with OtterBox cases, and vice versa.
The story began with a clumsy zoo visitor, and an annoyed otter. A visitor to the Red River Zoo in Fargo dropped their OtterBox protected iPhone into the otter enclosure, where it drew the attention of one of the occupants.
While there is no footage of the events that followed, there are several eyewitness accounts, and the slightly blurry photo of the culprit and the iPhone you see here. The otter took offense at the iPhone’s presence, and pulled the case apart, before throwing the whole thing in the water. Far from satisfied, the phone and case were retrieved, chewed on, and sent to the bottom of the water again. And again.
We’re almost glad there’s no video evidence of these horrific events.
There are no interviews with the iPhone’s owner, but then, we’d rather hear from the otter anyway — questions need to be answered. What possible justification for such violence could there be? Is the otter an Android fan? Or a paid agent for the likes of Ballistic, Spigen, or one of the many other competing tough phone case manufacturers out there? We really should be told.
Despite the OtterBox case’s inability to withstand a pummeling from an actual otter, the cases are regular additions to our best phone case roundups, including its Symmetry Series for the iPhone 6 Plus, and the Commuter Series for the Galaxy S6.
*OtterBox says it’s joking, and we’re a bit sad about it
