919 Gram Otter Cub Hand-Reared By RSPCA Officer As Part Of Amazing Recovery
An unwell otter cub, rescued by RSPCA Cymru in Llandysul, was hand-reared by an officer from the charity as part of her remarkable recovery process.
Stunning video footage shows the cub during her recovery phases to date, including being fed from a bottle, and sleeping on a blanket in her temporary pen.
RSPCA animal collection officer (ACO) Ellie West rescued the six-week-old cub on 15 January, who was found in a very weak and lethargic state in the village of Penrhiwllan.
The otter weighted only 919 grams when found. She was fed through a syringe and hand-reared by the RSPCA officer as part of her immediate rehabilitation.
She was then transferred to accommodation within a rehabilitation unit, held by a local badger group, giving her a larger pen to continue her recovery. At this new location, ACO West continued to provide care, meals and support to the otter.
The cub is now to be transferred to a specialist wildlife centre, at which it is estimated she will be further rehabilitated for between 12 and 18 months, before being returned to the wild.
ACO Ellie West said:
“It was really touch and go for this poor otter cub, who was in a desperately sorry state when I rescued her.
“So much energy and emotion has gone into helping and rehabilitating her, and – thankfully – she responded well to being hand-reared.
“Her recovery will now continue at one of our specialist wildlife centres.
“It is hoped we will be able to return her to where she belongs – the wild – some time in 2018, which would mark an amazing turnaround from when I first rescued this cub in Llandysul.”
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