New 'otter hospital' planned in North Devon to save and release wild cubs
Sam Blackledge reports on plans to expand a charity which cares for otters
A North Devon charity has plans to open a new 'otter hospital' to care for the increasing number of cubs in distress.
The UK Wild Otter Trust rescues otters from all over England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.
It has already rescued 19 cubs and successfully released eight so far this year, after a very wet winter saw many otters displaced.
The charity rehabilitates and releases orphaned otter cubs after a year-long stay at their centre - but it is running out of space to treat the numbers of wild animals needing help.
Dave Webb, CEO and founder of the trust, has a plan to build an otter hospital to help care for the increased numbers of cubs fighting for survival.
He said: “We currently have six indoor cub rooms, which unfortunately isn’t enough for the numbers of otters we’re treating.
"Having additional space is vital to giving rescued cubs the best chance of rehabilitation and eventual release back into the wild.
"Without the new otter hospital, we’ll really struggle to provide the animals with the treatment they need, which would be devastating.
"We’ve negotiated with a local company who will provide the materials for the hospital for us for £2,000, which is incredible, so we’re asking wildlife lovers of the public for donations to help us meet the cost.
"Our wonderful volunteers will do the rest of the work building the hospital.”
The charity’s most recent fundraising campaign comes after calls earlier this year to “slow down for otters”, as high numbers of cubs are being orphaned due to motorists killing mother otters.
Alongside flooding, traffic is the biggest factor in leaving otter cubs without their mother, who they depend on for the first year of their lives.
In regards to the high numbers of otters being hurt on the roads, Dave said: “We have seen an increase in cubs being left alone due to the females being unfortunately killed by traffic.
"It is thought that clipping an otter at 30mph, it is still likely to kill the animal.
"We are trying to make drivers more aware of the surroundings and to be more vigilant when driving in certain areas such as close to rivers or bridges that cross rivers etc - we think that by making more people aware, more accidents could be avoided."