Saved road otter cub 'thriving'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/north_east/8439437.stm

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A small otter cub saved after being found lying by the roadside in Aberdeenshire is said to be thriving.

The otter was found on the outskirts of Huntly by a motorist, who took him to vets.

Now named Ron, after the River Deveron which flows in the area, he is being cared for at the Scottish SPCA's Wildlife Rescue Centre in Fife.

Ron is now being bottle fed and will be taken to an otter conservation project on Skye as soon as he can feed himself.

Scottish SPCA senior Inspector Lesley Crockett said: "He was very lucky to be found as it was a dark, miserable day and pouring with rain.

The otter is being bottle fed by rescue staff

"Thankfully the motorist who found him took him to Strathbogie vets where he was dried off and fed.

"We were then asked to help provide onward care for the otter cub. I fed him overnight before he was transported to our Wildlife Rescue Centre."

Colin Seddon, manager of the Wildlife Rescue Centre at Middlebank, said: "Ron is being bottle fed every four hours from 7am until midnight. He's coming on leaps and bounds and we will shortly be weaning him with fish.

"Once he is able to feed himself he will be taken to the International Otter Survival Fund on the Isle of Skye where he will benefit from being amongst other otters of a similar age.

"The long-term goal is for him to be released back in to the wild, but he still has a long way to go yet.

"Young otters are dependent on their mothers until they are about 12-months-old so orphans like Ron need to be kept in captivity until they reach the age that they would naturally be finding their own way in the wild."

He added: "He's already shown us that he's a survivor so we're hopeful he'll continue to progress well."