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Mystery of hand-reared otter cub
Staff at the Scottish SPCA's Wildlife Rescue Centre in Fife are scratching their heads in bemusement after taking in what appears to be a hand-reared otter cub.
We rescued the six-month-old female cub, named Fyne, after she was discovered running along the A82 a couple of miles outside of Glencoe.
A passing motorist took her into the town before calling our Animal Helpline.
Local Scottish SPCA Inspector Dawna Connolly took the cub to a vets before transferring her to our Fife rescue centre.
Centre manager Colin Seddon said, "We have no idea how Fyne managed to get where she was found but she's so tame we believe she's been hand-reared.
"She even ran over to the man who spotted her when he got out of his car to see if she was okay.
"In thirty years of caring for wildlife I have only heard of one other hand-reared otter cub being rescued, so this is really rare.
"Fyne is far too friendly for a wild otter and while we shouldn't be able to get anywhere near her she always approaches us.
"Perhaps her mother died or abandoned her and someone decided to try and care for her before releasing her back into the wild.
"While she's now capable of giving a serious bite, it would have been relatively easy to bottle feed her when she was younger.
"The intentions of whoever tried to look after her may have been good, but she wouldn't have survived in the wild had she not been found and rescued.
"What they should have done is contact an organisation with expertise such as the Scottish SPCA.
"We've been able to feed, rehydrate and medicate her and now she's improving and feeding well."
Fyne will soon be transferred to the International Otter Survival Fund on Skye.
"It should be possible to return her to her natural habitat with all the instincts she'll need to survive," said Colin.
"That could take up to a year with almost no human contact but we are hopeful of success."
Anyone with information relating to Fyne should contact our Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999.