A baby otter was rescued from a Tesco delivery van at Copdock, Ipswich this week after the youngster was spotted being attacked by birds. The otter’s baby brother had been rescued the day before, and today the two were reunited. According to the RSPCA, the pups are four months old and are now in the care of South Essex Wildlife Hospital.
The female otter ran to hide under the delivery van after birds attacked her; she wound up climbing into the engine compartment. RSPCA Inspector Caroline Richardson used food to lure the little one out and then used a looped pole to carefully pull her to safety.
When I got the call I must admit I expected to find a ferret or a rat stuck in the engine – but when I reached in to get a better look there was the cutest little face staring back at me.
The otter was coming out on her own accord and the staff had been trying to lure her out with some food on a stick -as this seemed to work I carried on with the approach and then when the moment was right I was able to use my rescue equipment to grab her and pull her out.
Press release RSPCA
The female otter was not injured. Just the day before, employees of the same company, had spotted another otter cub within the same area. He was able to be confined in a box until rescuers from the RSPCA arrived.
The two babies were too young to be out of their den. Sadly, something must have happened to their mother or their den had been disturbed or destroyed. The two siblings have been reunited and will remain at the wildlife hospital until they are old enough to be released.
Otter cubs can stay in the care of their mother for up to a year. Both of the babies are very thin and are covered with parasites, but they are eating well. Their rehabilitation is very specialized.
…they’re on a diet of trout and we expect they’ll get through an awful lot while they’re here.
South Essex Wildlife Hospital
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