Three orphaned otters rescued in January this year are embarking on the next stage of their preparations for life in the great outdoors.
The three siblings – females Splish and Splash and their brother Splosh – have been reared by the team at Secret World wildlife centre at East Huntspill, near Burnham-on-Sea.
The three were rescued from beneath a shed besides the River Huntspill just after New Year.
Staff at Secret World have fed them and taught them to swim, but now the three youngsters have to learn the basics of fending for themselves.
Pauline Kidner, who runs Secret World, said: “They are now having very limited contact with staff. We can watch over them with cameras including one underwater. As much as possible we’re in a hands-off situation so they can grow and become strong.”
The otters’ home is a 20sq metre enclosure with an eight-metre pool, which is two metres deep in the middle. The otters are eating 40 small trout, six dead chicks and a pound of mince every day and are – not surprisingly – growing fast.
Splish, Splash and Splosh will live together like this for the next nine months by which time they will be about 18 months old and able to live an independent life. It is hoped that they will be released into the wild.
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Trio of otter cubs rescued by Burnham-On-Sea wildlife centre
