An otter turned outlaw continues to evade wildlife officials in Santa Cruz

Otter 841 has successfully evaded capture in Santa Cruz, Calif., for more than a week, despite efforts by wildlife officials. The otter has been deemed a public health risk because of its concerning interactions with humans. (Laird Henkel/California Department of Fish and Wildlife)

An otter in California is on the run from local and federal authorities, wanted for aggressively confronting locals and stealing surfboards at a popular beach. But its outlaw status has turned the slippery sea otter into an international icon, with growing support to leave her in the wild.

The 5-year-old female otter, known officially as otter 841, has been deemed a public safety risk by state and federal wildlife officials because of her "unusually aggressive" behavior along the Santa Cruz coast. As a result, wildlife officials and Monterey Bay Aquarium staff are attempting to capture and rehome the otter to an aquarium or zoo, according to a joint news release. But support for a live-and-let-live approach is growing with each unsuccessful attempt.