AN otter cub who was rescued from a bin in County Durham on Christmas Eve has experienced something of a new year miracle after discovering a fresh lease of life at an RSPCA rescue centre.
The otter, who has been named Eve, was discovered in the bin near to the City of Durham just before Christmas, suffering with hypothermia and visibly injured.
After being taken to a vet by the good Samaritan, the RSPCA took Eve into their care before moving the animal to its Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Cheshire.
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Through looking after the young otter, RSPCA officers slowly warmed up and gave fluids to Eve, as well as hand-rearing her on kitten milk and fish on its road to recovery.
Once fully rehabilitated at the wildlife centre, the young mammal will return to the wild once again.
Following Eve’s rescue, RSPCA inspector, Steph Baines has said: “It appears that someone found the tiny otter cub and because she was so cold, thought she was dead, so discarded her in a bin.
“Then another member of the public later noticed some movement so rushed her to a nearby vets.
“We decided to name her Eve as she was found on Christmas Eve.”
Lee Stewart, manager at Stapeley Grange, has also added his excitement at having an otter in the care of the RSPCA.
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He said: “It is always very exciting to have an otter cub with us as up until the 1980s they were struggling in the wild.
“They weren’t protected by legislation until 1978, at which point numbers were low, but over time their numbers have steadily increased, and they have made a comeback in most counties in the UK.
“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.”
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