Baby otter rescued by the side of a North Yorkshire road is "doing well"
An otter cub that was rescued from the side of a road in Pateley Bridge is making a good recovery with the RSPCA.
On Friday April 9, a member of the public spotted the otter which appeared to be stunned on Pie Gill in Heathfield, Pateley Bridge, and took the animal to a nearby vet.
The vet alerted the RSPCA, and animal rescue officer David Holgate took the otter to the Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre near Nantwich in Cheshire. The centre is the charity's specialist hub for otter rehabilitation.
The otter will be rehabilitated at the centre and once he has recovered he will be returned to the wild.
Lee Stewart, manager at Stapeley Grange, said, “It is always very exciting to have an otter cub with us as up until the 1970s they were struggling in the wild.
“They weren’t safe from being hunted until 1978, at which point numbers were low, but over time their numbers have steadily started to rise and they have made a comeback in most counties in the UK. As a result we are seeing more being brought into Stapeley Grange. Otter rehabilitation is very specialised and you need to have suitable facilities to care for them. Young otter cubs can be with us for up to 12 months before they can be returned to the wild so their care is not only time consuming but expensive.“
If a member of the public sees a wild animal in need of help, they can call the RSPCA’s emergency line on 0300 1234 999.