Rescued otter cubs are returned to the wild
TWO otter cubs have been successfully released on the Isle of Mull.
The Scottish SPCA rescued Rush and Gribun last year and re-introduced them into the wild last week.
Wildlife centre manager Colin Seddon said: ‘Rush had been found alone on Uist last February and Gribun was found by a member of the public on their doorstep crying for help.
‘Luckily, both otters were around eight weeks old so we were able to introduce them to each other and allow them to develop together. It’s important to rear otter cubs in groups as they depend on play and interaction with their own kind to learn life skills.
‘ We don’t release otter cubs until they are at least 12 months of age as that is around the time they become independent of their mother.
‘As both of the otters were from the West Coast, it was important to release them back in that area and we were fortunate enough to be able to release them on Mull, where they could be provided with support feeding to help them adjust to their life in the wild.
‘The Mull Otter Group has been a tremendous help, monitoring both Rush and Gribun since the release. I’m delighted that they’ve been seen in the area a number of times, feeding and interacting as wild otters should.’
The SSPCA wildlife centre at Fishcross treats otters from all over Scotland and has specially designed facilities to care for them. It usually treats around 20 to 25 cubs and adults annually. If you’re concerned about the welfare of a wild animal, call the SSPCA helpline on 03000 999 999.