Rare Otter Pup Rescue
On April 21st the WRL Helpline received a call from the park manager at Fountainhead Regional Park in Fairfax County on the Occoquan reservoir. A boater had found a baby river otter that had climbed into his boat on the boat ramp. This was only the second time in recent years that WRL encountered a baby otter. This otter was only a few weeks old, far too young to be out of the den and in the water. Quick action was needed to save it. Helpline volunteer Linda went to work immediately to find a rehabilitator.
Otters give birth on land in dens and the otter pups are completely helpless when they are first born. The pups do not open their eyes for the first month and just nurse and sleep. By around two months of age, the pups are mobile and ready to begin swim lessons. Though the pups are reluctant, it will only take about two months to learn to swim and dive for food. In the wild, river otter pups stay with their mothers for about one year. River otters usually have one to three babies per litter. (1)
Watch a video of mom teaching her pups to swim!
Baby otters require special rehabilitation care and facilities for the year they spend learning to swim and to survive in the wild. Cynthia Lakin, a wildlife rehabilitator in Newport News, immediately agreed to take the otter. Linda and Cynthia were able to arrange transporters to ferry the baby. WRL transporter, Junko, drove the little one to Fredericksburg, where Cynthia’s transporter took over and brought the baby to Richmond to meet Cynthia. All told, it took 5 hours from the time of rescue to its arrival in Newport News.
Cynthia reports that the otter, a male, had pneumonia. Five days later, with a lot of fluids and two antibiotics, he was finally feeling better. Happily, he was able to grow up together with two new additions to Cynthia’s “litter”, a pair of older siblings. Thank you to everyone who made the Fountainhead otter’s rescue possible!
Written by Linda Fiedler
