Otter rescued from a bin teams up with a new pal
Two orphaned baby otters are spending their first Valentine’s Day together after being paired up by the RSPCA to help them in their rehabilitation.
Two orphaned otter pups, named Eve and Juniper, are enjoying each other’s company as part of their rehabilitation after they were abandoned and unable to survive on their own in the wild.
Eve, named as she was discovered on Christmas Eve, was found in a bin near Sunderland Road, in Durham, after a member of the public spotted her and saw signs of life.
She was rushed to a nearby vet who treated Eve for hypothermia and then alerted the RSPCA.
Inspector Steph Baines took the otter pup to be treated at a wildlife establishment in North Yorkshire and after a few days she was strong enough to be transferred to Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre, near Nantwich, in Cheshire.
Juniper was found alone days later in the New Year by a member of the public near Catterick Garrison, in North Yorkshire.
To help the baby otters prepare for their return to the wild, staff at the RSPCA centre housed the pair together and they are loving having fun in each other's company.
Lee Stewart, manager at Stapeley Grange, said: “To help the otters' social wellbeing we recently paired up Eve and Juniper and they are loving spending time together.
“Enrichment is important for the mental wellbeing of our patients and the otters enjoy playing in a paddock with straw and chasing each other around.
"They are also very fond of the fish dishes we provide and like snuggling up after a long day of scampering around.”
Lee added: “Whilst most of our adult wildlife admissions are returned to the wild within a matter of weeks, many of our orphan animals remain in care for many months.
“Our otter cubs can stay with us for up to 12 months so their care is not only time consuming but expensive.
"They are released at an age and size when they would naturally move off to find their own territory and way in life.”