Wild ARC admits baby river otter found crying and wandering around Victoria-area beach

Wild ARC admits baby river otter found crying and wandering around Victoria-area beach
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An emaciated baby otter is now in the care of the BC SPCA’s Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre, also known as Wild ARC.

The BC SPCA said in a recent post on its website that someone brought a young female river otter pup to Wild ARC in Metchosin after they found it crying and wandering an undisclosed Victoria-area beach.

“On arrival the otter was dehydrated and emaciated, weighing in at just 1.1 kilograms,” Andrea Wallace, BC SPCA manager of wild animal welfare. “It is likely that she was a late-season baby, and for an unknown reason, became separated from her mother.”

BC SPCA also said staff at Wild ARC originally believed the baby otter had experienced some kind of trauma to its legs, but later determined it hadn’t and that it was just extremely weak from malnourished and underweight.

RELATED: Wild ARC caring for rescued baby otter after its mother was killed by a car

The baby otter joins another young otter that is currently being cared for by staff at Wild ARC after its mother was struck and killed by a car in June. However, the newest arrival at Wild ARC is too small to meet the other orphaned otter.

“Our rehabilitation team is currently focused on bringing her strength back and her weight up,” Wallace said. “However, once the pup feels like herself again, our staff will closely monitor an introduction between the two to ensure a successful relationship.”

Both otters will remain in care at Wild ARC until they are old enough to be released back into the wild.

The BC SPCA is raising money to care for its newest arrival. For more information and to donate, click here.

ALSO READ: Brown pelican rehabilitated at Wild ARC earlier this year dies from another injury

Nicholas PescodNicholas Pescod

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