Otter News Archive

Orphaned otters face brighter future

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16th January, 2008

Lucy Clark

This is Hampshire

CUTE and cuddly they might be - but strictly no touching!

Meet orphans Brussel, Sprout and Parsnip.

They are the three latest arrivals desperately in need of the help of The New Forest Otter, Owl and Wildlife Park.

Sadly, all three have lost their parents so are relying on the guidance of staff at the park near Ashurst to help them grow up.

At two months old, Brussel the boy and sisters Sprout and Parsnip arrived from North Wales and Norfolk respectively.

John Crooks, animal manager at the park, said: "Their mums have probably been knocked down by a car. Traffic is a big killer of otters.

"They came to us from the RSPCA. A lot of the otters we care for are orphaned and come to us once they have reached the stage where they have sharp teeth and need to be weaned off bottles of milk.

"It's better for them to grow up in groups so they don't miss mum so much and have someone to play with."

The three Eurasian River Otters are living together and are healthily tucking into fillets of trout every day.

The park has about 40 otters on show to the public, but Brussel, Sprout and Parsnip will stay behind closed doors until they can be released back into the wild next spring.

"We try to be as hands off as possible," said John. "We plan to return them to the wild so we don't want them to become used to humans."

The park is also home to a new litter of eight wild boar piglets, born three weeks ago. They will grow up with very little help from the park's staff. With their fearsome tusks and muscular shoulders, mum and dad make it too dangerous for keepers to get anywhere near the cute babies.

John said: "They will grow very quickly and will look as big and ugly as dad by the end of the summer, but at the moment they have still got their stripes and spots on their coats. Like most wayward children, they are getting up to lots of mischief!"